Counties in North Carolina by unemployment rate

Halifax County had the highest unemployment rate of 100 counties in August 2025, at 6.3%. Currituck County had the lowest, at 3%. The median was 4.2% and the figure for North Carolina was 3.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.3Halifax County
Median4.2100 counties
North Carolina3.9History

Top 40 counties, August 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Halifax CountyHalifax County: 6.3 %6.3Edgecombe CountyEdgecombe County: 6.2 %6.2Bladen CountyBladen County: 6.1 %6.1Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 5.8 %5.8Robeson CountyRobeson County: 5.8 %5.8Wilson CountyWilson County: 5.8 %5.8Scotland CountyScotland County: 5.6 %5.6Bertie CountyBertie County: 5.5 %5.5Nash CountyNash County: 5.4 %5.4Washington CountyWashington County: 5.3 %5.3Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 5.2 %5.2Warren CountyWarren County: 5.2 %5.2Tyrrell CountyTyrrell County: 5.1 %5.1Anson CountyAnson County: 5 %5Hyde CountyHyde County: 5 %5Rutherford CountyRutherford County: 5 %5Hoke CountyHoke County: 4.9 %4.9Vance CountyVance County: 4.9 %4.9Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.8 %4.8Hertford CountyHertford County: 4.8 %4.8Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.8 %4.8Guilford CountyGuilford County: 4.7 %4.7Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 4.7 %4.7Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 4.6 %4.6Columbus CountyColumbus County: 4.6 %4.6Pitt CountyPitt County: 4.6 %4.6Jones CountyJones County: 4.5 %4.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.5 %4.5Rockingham CountyRockingham County: 4.5 %4.5Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 4.4 %4.4Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 4.4 %4.4Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 4.4 %4.4Harnett CountyHarnett County: 4.4 %4.4Lenoir CountyLenoir County: 4.4 %4.4Madison CountyMadison County: 4.4 %4.4Martin CountyMartin County: 4.4 %4.4McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 4.4 %4.4Onslow CountyOnslow County: 4.4 %4.4Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 4.4 %4.4Perquimans CountyPerquimans County: 4.4 %4.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Halifax County6.3+0.6 pts
2Edgecombe County6.2+0.3 pts
3Bladen County6.1+0.7 pts
4Northampton County5.8+0.5 pts
4Robeson County5.8+0.1 pts
4Wilson County5.80 pts
7Scotland County5.60 pts
8Bertie County5.50 pts
9Nash County5.4+0.3 pts
10Washington County5.3+0.3 pts
11Cumberland County5.2+0.2 pts
11Warren County5.2+0.1 pts
13Tyrrell County5.1+0.5 pts
14Anson County5+0.1 pts
14Hyde County5+0.6 pts
14Rutherford County5+0.5 pts
17Hoke County4.90 pts
17Vance County4.9-0.1 pts
19Cleveland County4.8+0.3 pts
19Hertford County4.8+0.1 pts
19Richmond County4.80 pts
22Guilford County4.7+0.1 pts
22Mitchell County4.7+1.3 pts
24Brunswick County4.6+0.2 pts
24Columbus County4.6-0.1 pts
24Pitt County4.60 pts
27Jones County4.5+0.4 pts
27Montgomery County4.5+0.1 pts
27Rockingham County4.5+0.1 pts
30Buncombe County4.4+1.1 pts
30Cherokee County4.4+0.1 pts
30Forsyth County4.4+0.2 pts
30Harnett County4.4+0.1 pts
30Lenoir County4.4-0.1 pts
30Madison County4.4+1.2 pts
30Martin County4.4-0.1 pts
30McDowell County4.4+0.5 pts
30Onslow County4.4+0.2 pts
30Pasquotank County4.4+0.4 pts
30Perquimans County4.4+0.1 pts
30Wayne County4.4+0.2 pts
30Wilkes County4.4+0.3 pts
43Alamance County4.3+0.2 pts
43Gaston County4.3+0.2 pts
43Sampson County4.3-0.1 pts
46Burke County4.2+0.4 pts
46Caldwell County4.2+0.3 pts
46Caswell County4.2+0.2 pts
46Craven County4.20 pts
46Davidson County4.2+0.1 pts
46Lee County4.2+0.3 pts
46Mecklenburg County4.2+0.1 pts
46Stokes County4.2+0.3 pts
46Yancey County4.2+0.7 pts
55Clay County4.1+0.3 pts
55Gates County4.1+0.3 pts
55Rowan County4.1+0.2 pts
58Alexander County4-0.1 pts
58Alleghany County4-0.3 pts
58Cabarrus County4+0.2 pts
58Catawba County40 pts
58Chowan County4-0.2 pts
58Granville County4+0.1 pts
58Haywood County4+0.5 pts
58Person County4+0.1 pts
58Randolph County40 pts
67Beaufort County3.90 pts
67Davie County3.9+0.2 pts
67Iredell County3.9+0.2 pts
67Pamlico County3.9-0.3 pts
67Pender County3.9+0.2 pts
67Polk County3.9+0.4 pts
73Avery County3.8+0.4 pts
73Durham County3.8+0.3 pts
73Moore County3.8+0.1 pts
73Surry County3.8+0.1 pts
73Transylvania County3.8+0.2 pts
78Carteret County3.7+0.1 pts
78Chatham County3.7+0.2 pts
78Duplin County3.70 pts
78Franklin County3.70 pts
78Graham County3.7+0.1 pts
78Greene County3.7+0.2 pts
78Jackson County3.7+0.1 pts
78Lincoln County3.70 pts
78Macon County3.70 pts
78New Hanover County3.7+0.1 pts
78Orange County3.7+0.2 pts
78Stanly County3.7+0.1 pts
78Union County3.7+0.1 pts
78Watauga County3.7+0.3 pts
92Ashe County3.6+0.4 pts
92Henderson County3.6+0.4 pts
92Swain County3.6+0.4 pts
92Yadkin County3.6+0.1 pts
96Johnston County3.5+0.1 pts
96Wake County3.50 pts
98Camden County3.4+0.4 pts
99Dare County3.3+0.1 pts
100Currituck County30 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Halifax County, with 6.3% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Currituck County, with 3% in August 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings