Region has 4,511 more people working compared to one year ago.

Unemployment rate in Mountain Area region was 2.5% as of December 2023. As of December 2023, 4,511 more people working compared to December 2022.

Unemployed Individuals by month (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties):

December 2023 6,459

November 2023 7,120

October 2023 7,335

September 2023 6,987

August 2023 7,702

July 2023 7,470

June 2023 7,551

May 2023 6,752

April 2023 6,466

March 2023 6,916

February 2023 6,696

January 2023 6,808

December 2022 6,285

November 2022 6,781

October 2022 7,343

September 2022 5,953

August 2022 6,938

Note there are some statistical disparities between the data reported for the Asheville metro and the Mountain Area Workforce region as the metro includes Haywood County but does not include Transylvania County. The Mountain Area Workforce region includes Transylvania County but not Haywood County.

Total Labor Force 223,473

Total Employed Labor Force 217,866

Mountain Area WDB Regional Labor Market Overview

Asheville MSA Jobs

Mountain Area WDB Employed Individuals

Mountain Area WDB Unemployment Rate

Mountain Area WDB Unemployed Individuals

Asheville MSA Industry Jobs Compared to One Year Ago

Mountain Area WDB Job Openings

Mountain Area WDB Taxable Retail Sales

Asheville metro unemployment rate 2.5%, AVL metro continues to maintain the the lowest unemployment rate of any NC metro

Asheville metro (as of December 2023) continues to have the lowest unemployment of any NC metro at 2.5%. All counties in our region have an unemployment rate at or lower than the statewide rate of 3.5%. Buncombe County had the lowest at 2.4%

Buncombe 2.4%

Haywood 2.8%

Henderson 2.6%

Madison 2.7%

Transylvania 2.9%

Monthly job growth by metro:

1. Wilmington 0.6%
2. Raleigh 0.5%
3. Burlington 0.2%
4. Durham/Chapel Hill 0.2%
5. Goldsboro 0.2%
6. Asheville 0.1%
7. Hickory 0.1%
8. Winston Salem 0.1%
9. Jacksonville 0%
10. New Bern 0%
11. Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia -0.1%
12. Fayetteville -0.1%
13. Greensboro-High Point -0.1%
14. Greenville -0.1%
15. Rocky Mount -0.2%

Asheville Metro All Employees (Total Individuals Working) 208,300 in December 2023

Asheville Metro Labor Force 242,042 (Total Individuals Working or Seeking Employment) in December 2023

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