States · North Carolina

North Carolina Economy — Live Data

Tracking the North Carolina economy: unemployment at 3.7% (below the national rate of 4.2%), plus job growth, home prices, and income — all sourced from the Federal Reserve and Bureau of Labor Statistics, in plain English.

Unemployment Rate
3.7%
▼ Below US average (4.2%)
Nonfarm Jobs
5.12M
▲ +1.2% jobs YoY
House Prices (YoY)
+2.4%
▲ Rising
Per-Capita Income
$69K
▲ +4.4% vs prior year
North Carolina vs. United States — Unemployment
North Carolina
3.7%
United States
4.2%

North Carolina is outperforming the national labor market. Unemployment of 3.7% is 0.5 points below the US rate — a sign of relative strength in local hiring.

Jobs & Output
Nonfarm payrolls
5.12M
Job growth (YoY)
+1.2%
Real GDP (2025)
$682B
GDP growth (YoY)
+2.7%

Payrolls are monthly (BLS); GDP and income are annual (BEA). Key sectors in North Carolina: banking, biotech, and furniture manufacturing.

What this means if you live or work in North Carolina
💼
Job market
With unemployment below the national average, employers in North Carolina are competing for workers — leverage for job seekers and wage pressure for businesses.
🏠
Housing
House prices are rising moderately (+2.4% YoY) — a balanced market by recent standards.
💵
Income
Per-capita personal income in North Carolina is $68,511, up 4.4% from the prior year. Compare against national inflation to gauge real purchasing power.
🏭
Key industries
North Carolina's economy leans on banking, biotech, and furniture manufacturing — sector-specific national trends (energy prices, rates, consumer spending) hit this state through those channels first.
Key Numbers — North Carolina
Unemployment3.7%
US unemployment4.2%
Nonfarm jobs5.12M
House prices YoY+2.4%
Per-capita income$68,511
Real GDP$682B
Labor data as ofMay 2026
Nearby States
South Carolina economy → Virginia economy → Tennessee economy → Georgia economy → All 50 states →
National Data
US labor market → US housing data → US inflation → Full dashboard →

Data: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) — series NCUR, NCNA, NCSTHPI, NCPCPI, NCRGSP — plus BLS and BEA. Live values load on page open; figures shown are the most recent official releases. Not financial advice.