North Carolina Showing Slight Decline in Overall Unemployment Rate

The NC Commerce Department released new workforce numbers that show a slight decline in the state’s overall unemployment rate. Based on figures reported, January 2021 had 11,284 fewer North Carolinians unemployed than in December 2020, leading to an unemployment rate of 5.9%. While this number is significantly lower than the peak 13.5% unemployment rate the state experienced last spring, it is still nearly 2.5% higher than it was one year ago. Throughout the pandemic, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has remained slightly lower than the national average.