North Carolina Employment Rate Falls to 58.6% in June 2026 From 61.4% in 2023

1 articles · Updated · WSOC Charlotte · Aug 10

58.6% of North Carolinians age 16 and older were working in June 2026, down from 61.4% in 2023, according to a new state Commerce Department report.
Retirements are a key driver of the decline, shrinking the number of people in the workforce as older residents leave jobs.
Longer time in school among younger people is also weighing on the rate, keeping more potential workers out of employment for now.
The report points to a broad labor-force shift rather than a single-month change, suggesting demographic and education trends are reshaping the state's workforce.