How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated May. 19, 2026Refreshed monthly
North Carolina gained 9,400 jobs in March 2026, ranking it seventh among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 8,700 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

+9.4K

month to month change in number of jobs (March 2026)

7th

rank among states in monthly job growth (March 2026)
North Carolina’s job gain of 9,400 March 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 3,000 loss in February 2026.
During the latest five year period (April 2021 to March 2026), North Carolina gained jobs in 48 out of 60 months. March 2026 had the 24th-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+50,300) while job growth was weakest in October 2024 (-19,900).

There were 9,400 more jobs in March 2026 in North Carolina than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, April 2021–March 2026, seasonally adjusted

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Which North Carolina sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in March 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in March 2026 were retail trade, arts, entertainment, and recreation, and non-durable goods. Retail trade added 2,900 jobs, more than the entire economy. Arts, entertainment, and recreation gained 1,700 jobs, while non-durable goods added 1,300. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

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The health care and social assistance sector lost 400 jobs during March 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in North Carolina (March 2026)

How does North Carolina's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has gained an average of 3,300 jobs every month. That's higher than the 2024 average monthly increase of 2,600, and the highest since 2023. The 2025 average ranks as 15th-highest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 16,900 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 21,000 on average every month in 2022.

In 2025, North Carolina gained an average of 3,300 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among 15 metro areas primarily in North Carolina during March 2026 ranged from a loss of 1,100 jobs in the Durham, NC area to a gain of 1,500 jobs in the Charlotte, NC area metro area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within North Carolina

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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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.