How many jobs were added in North Carolina last month?
Refreshed monthly
North Carolina gained 17,400 jobs in May 2026, ranking it second 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 8,900 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+17.4K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
2nd
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's gain of 17,400 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in North Carolina. Monthly job growth was down from the 21,400 new jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), North Carolina gained jobs in 48 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 12th-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 17,400 more jobs in May 2026 in North Carolina than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which North Carolina sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Accommodation and food services added 3,800 jobs, more than the entire economy. Health care and social assistance gained 3,400 jobs, while professional, scientific, and technical services added 3,200 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 3,400 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in North Carolina (May 2026)
How does North Carolina's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, North Carolina 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 2007.
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 May 2026 ranged from a gain of 0 jobs in the Jacksonville, NC area to a gain of 5,100 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
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +5,100 | |
| 2. | +2,400 | |
| 3. | +1,000 | |
| 4. | +800 | |
| 5. | +700 | |
| 6. | +600 | |
| 7. | +600 | |
| 8. | +400 | |
| 9. | +300 | |
| 10. | +300 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
