Department of Numbers

Asheville, North Carolina Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Asheville fell 0.0 percentage points in September 2023 to 2.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the North Carolina rate. The unemployment rate in Asheville peaked in April 2020 at 18.3% and is now 15.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.7% in July 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Asheville unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.8% 0.0 +0.3
North Carolina 3.4% +0.1 -0.5
Asheville 2.7% 0.0 -0.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2023 data as October metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Asheville, North Carolina, National

Asheville, North Carolina monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Asheville, North Carolina Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Asheville peaked in April 2020 at 38,993. There are now 32,428 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 6,480 in August 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 85. Asheville employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Asheville, North Carolina) is also available.

Unemployed Persons September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Asheville 6,565 +85 -841

Number of Unemployed Persons

Asheville, North Carolina Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
North Carolina
Unemployment Rate
Asheville
Unemployment Rate
Asheville
Unemployed
October
2023
3.9% 3.4%
September
2023
3.8% 3.4% 2.7% 6,565
August
2023
3.8% 3.3% 2.7% 6,480
July
2023
3.5% 3.3% 2.7% 6,544
June
2023
3.6% 3.3% 2.8% 6,672
May
2023
3.7% 3.4% 2.8% 6,848
April
2023
3.4% 3.4% 2.9% 6,938
March
2023
3.5% 3.5% 2.9% 7,028
February
2023
3.6% 3.6% 3.0% 7,098
January
2023
3.4% 3.8% 3.0% 7,222
December
2022
3.5% 3.8% 3.1% 7,341
November
2022
3.6% 3.9% 3.1% 7,364

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.