North Carolina Adds 16,000 Jobs in April as Unemployment Holds at 3.7%

1 articles · Updated · Neuse News · May 23

North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls rose 16,000 in April to 5,096,100, while the state unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%, below the unchanged U.S. rate of 4.3%.
Leisure and hospitality led monthly job gains with 5,700, followed by professional and business services at 3,100 and construction at 2,700; manufacturing was the only major sector to decline, slipping 100.
Household-survey figures were softer: the number of employed residents fell 9,660 from March to 5,097,931, even as unemployed residents dropped 482 to 196,615.
Compared with April 2025, total nonfarm jobs were up 45,800, driven by private education and health services, construction and leisure and hospitality, while manufacturing remained the biggest annual drag with a 10,600 decline.

With a low unemployment rate, why is it getting harder for North Carolinians to find work?

Why are NC manufacturing jobs vanishing despite massive new investments in the sector?

As Raleigh booms, what is the real economic future for hurricane-hit Western North Carolina?