Payroll employment increased by net 8,300 jobs in March with professional and business services leading the way, followed by government and education and health services. Financial services saw a slight decline in employment.
Measuring against our neighbors to the north and south, South Carolina created 55,400 jobs for a 2.4 percent increase in the past year and Virginia added 48,300 jobs over the year, or 1.1 percent. South Carolina’s unemployment rate sits at 4.1 percent and Virginia’s is 3.2 percent.
The NC Chamber Foundation’s recent research around housing indicates the importance of permitting in addressing the significant housing inventory gap across all income levels and geographic areas in the state. The Fed reports that North Carolina issued 11.8 percent more residential permits in February 2025 than in January 2025, which is encouraging. However, residential permitting decreased by 4.1 percent in February 2025 compared to February 2024.
This will continue to be an area of focus for the NC Chamber as it considers regulatory reforms to expedite this process.
To learn more visit the NC Chamber.
