Department of Numbers

Wilmington, North Carolina Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Wilmington fell 0.1 percentage points in January 2023 to 3.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower than the North Carolina rate. The unemployment rate in Wilmington peaked in April 2020 at 16.5% and is now 13.2 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.1% in March 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.2 percentage points. You can also compare Wilmington unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
North Carolina 3.8% 0.0 +0.2
Wilmington 3.3% -0.1 0.0
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2023 data as February metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Wilmington, North Carolina, National

Wilmington, North Carolina monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Wilmington, North Carolina Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Wilmington peaked in April 2020 at 22,678. There are now 17,360 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 4,873 in March 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 445.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Wilmington 5,318 -16 +124

Number of Unemployed Persons

Wilmington, North Carolina Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
North Carolina
Unemployment Rate
Wilmington
Unemployment Rate
Wilmington
Unemployed
February
2023
3.6%
January
2023
3.4% 3.8% 3.3% 5,318
December
2022
3.5% 3.8% 3.4% 5,334
November
2022
3.6% 3.9% 3.4% 5,351
October
2022
3.7% 3.9% 3.3% 5,231
September
2022
3.5% 3.9% 3.2% 5,044
August
2022
3.7% 3.9% 3.2% 5,018
July
2022
3.5% 3.7% 3.2% 4,975
June
2022
3.6% 3.6% 3.2% 4,999
May
2022
3.6% 3.4% 3.1% 4,913
April
2022
3.6% 3.3% 3.1% 4,891
March
2022
3.6% 3.3% 3.1% 4,873

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.