North Carolina unemployment rate holds steady at 3.8% in January

North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8% in January 2026, unchanged from December’s revised rate, according to figures released Wednesday by the N.C. Department of Commerce. The national unemployment rate decreased to 4.3%.

The state’s household survey showed mixed movement beneath the headline rate. The number of employed North Carolinians decreased by 3,494 over the month to 5,109,781, while the number of unemployed people increased by 96 to 203,481. Compared with a year earlier, the number of employed people was up 19,919 and the number of unemployed people was up 2,876.

At the same time, the establishment survey showed total nonfarm employment increased by 5,200 to 5,073,400 in January. Commerce said the largest gains came in private education and health services, construction, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and government.

The numbers suggest a labor market that remains relatively stable, though not uniformly strong across all measures. That makes the report politically relevant as state leaders and lawmakers continue to make competing arguments about the strength of North Carolina’s economy heading into budget and policy debates this year.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.