How many job openings are there in North Carolina?

Data updated December 4, 2024
About 279 thousand, as of September 2024. The number of job openings decreased by 35,000 from September 2023. A “job opening” is defined as a position open on the last business day of the month. To be considered “open,” a job must meet three conditions: (1) There’s work available for the position; (2) The job could start within 30 days; and (3) The employer is actively recruiting.
Showing data for

279K

job openings in North Carolina (September 2024)

35K

fewer unfilled jobs in North Carolina in September 2024 than in September 2023
The number of job openings is one measure of employer demand for workers and is a commonly referred-to economic indicator. An increase in the number of job openings often indicates the economy is growing, while a decline may indicate slowed growth.

The number of job openings in North Carolina has declined over the last year.

Monthly job openings (seasonally adjusted) in North Carolina, December 2000–September 2024

Following the Great Recession, monthly job openings in North Carolina increased from 79,000 in January 2010 to 227,000 in February 2020. By April 2020, job openings had dropped to 161,000. Job openings in North Carolina then reached all-time highs during recovery from the COVID-19 recession. In September 2024, there were 279,000 job openings, down 11.1% from one year prior.
The job openings rate is another way to consider this data. It tells us what percentage of all jobs, filled and unfilled, were open during a given time period. This allows for better comparisons across time, industries, and places by adjusting for differences in the size of the working population.

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A higher share of jobs were open in North Carolina than in the US overall in September.

Job openings rate (seasonally adjusted), September 2024

In September 2024, 5.3% of all jobs in North Carolina were unfilled. This was 0.9 percentage points higher than the job openings rate US-wide.
Job openings also differ across states and regions for many reasons, including differing economies and dominating industries. North Carolina’s September job openings rate was higher than 36 states, plus Washington, DC.

In September 2024, North Carolina's job openings rate was higher than 36 states.

Seasonally adjusted job openings rate by state, September 2024


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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics

    Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

    US Bureau of Labor Statistics logo