Labor Market Update

Unemployment rate in Mountain Area region was 3.4% as of July 2024. As of July 2024, there are 2,534 less people working compared to July 2023.


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


July 2024 8,300

June 2024 8,579

May 2024 7,542

April 2024 6,865

March 2024 7,808

February 2024 7,924

January 2024 7,493

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


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 226,583

Total Employed Labor Force 218,966


Mountain Area WDB Regional Labor Market Overview

Mountain Area WDB Overview | LEAD Analytics

Unemployment Rates Increase in 83 of North Carolina’s Counties in July 2024



Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 83 of North Carolina’s counties in July 2024, decreased in three, and remained unchanged in 14. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.8 percent while Dare County had the lowest at 3.2 percent. Twelve of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases and three remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.0 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 3.3 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.3 percent.

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Asheville MSA Jobs

Mountain Area WDB Labor Force

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 3.4%, AVL metro continues to have the the lowest unemployment rate of any NC metro

Asheville metro (as of July 2024) continues to have the lowest unemployment of any NC metro at 3.4%. Dare County had the lowest unemployment of any NC County at 3.2%.


Buncombe 3.3%

Haywood 3.5%

Henderson 3.5%

Madison 3.7%

Transylvania 3.8%


Monthly job growth by metro:

 

  1. Wilmington 0.7%
  2. Greenville 0.6%
  3. Winston Salem 0.5%
  4. Asheville 0.4%
  5. Fayetteville 0.3%
  6. Hickory 0.3%
  7. Goldsboro 0.2%
  8. Burlington 0.1%
  9. Greensboro-High Point 0%
  10. New Bern 0%
  11. Rocky Mount 0%
  12. Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia -0.2%
  13. Durham/Chapel Hill -0.2%
  14. Jacksonville -0.2%
  15. Raleigh -0.2%



Asheville Metro All Employees (Total Individuals Working) 241,295 in June 2024

Asheville Metro Labor Force 241,443 (Total Individuals Working or Seeking Employment) in July 2024

How Childcare Impacts WNC's Workforce


You are invited to join the WNC Childcare Forum on Wednesday, September 25 from 1:15 pm - 4:00 pm at the Land of Sky Regional Council office or remote via zoom. Learn why childcare is important for our region's economy and employers. Contact Nathan@landofsky.org for the remote meeting link.

Second Chance Job Fair

Hosted by Inclusive Hiring Partners and Operation Gateway, this event will take place on Wednesday, September 25th, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Mission/AB-Tech Conference Center. You can attend either the morning session (9 AM - 1 PM) or the afternoon session (2PM - 6 PM) based on your needs, with a full day option also available. Free parking is provided!


As an employer or community partner, your registration is free and includes a complimentary lunch for up to two participants. Registration is open until September 20th, 2024, or until we reach our limit of 35 employers and community partners. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with job seekers and make a meaningful impact—reserve your spot today!

Employers click HERE to register for the Second Chance Job Fair

North Carolina Employer-Support Education Landscape Survey

Each year across the US, employers spend hundreds of billions supporting postsecondary education for employees through tuition assistance, apprenticeship, and internal education and training programs. Employers are a vital part of our talent ecosystem. Yet, there is much we don’t know about which employers do this, to which extent, what programs do, and how organizations like myFutureNC can work to best support employers’ needs. 


To learn more, we ask employers to complete this survey, designed to gather key information about their investments and approaches in supporting education for employees. The ideal survey respondent is someone in the company who has knowledge about various education programs, their goals, and design—this may be someone in human resources, learning and development, or workforce planning at large organizations, or executive leadership at smaller firms.



myFutureNC has engaged UpSkill America, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, to support this research. Your data and information will be protected—nothing will be shared without your permission. There will be opportunities for companies with strong upskilling programs to be featured in written reports and case studies for statewide and national audiences, as well. All survey respondents will receive a copy of the final survey analysis.

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Employers click HERE to respond to this survey

Our State Our Homes

Carolina Across 100 is a pan-university effort to partner with communities in each of North Carolina's 100 counties. This five-year initiative will build and support cross-sector collaborations to address current challenges.

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