Johnston County Unemployment Rate Falls To 3.1 Percent

JOHNSTON COUNTY — Johnston County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.1 percent in August, remaining below the statewide rate and lower than several neighboring counties.

The county’s unemployment rate declined from 3.2 percent in July and 3.5 percent in August 2025, according to figures released by the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Johnston County had a civilian labor force of 130,039 people during August. Of those, 4,029 were classified as unemployed.

Wake County recorded a 3.1 percent unemployment rate in August, the lowest among six area counties reviewed.

Sampson County followed at 3.6 percent.

Wayne County reported a 3.9 percent unemployment rate, while Harnett County stood at 4.0 percent.

Wilson County had the highest rate among the comparison counties at 5.0 percent.

Statewide Rate At 3.6 Percent
North Carolina’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in August, down from 3.7 percent in July and 4.1 percent in August 2025.

Unemployment rates declined in 91 of North Carolina’s 100 counties during August and remained unchanged in nine.

Edgecombe County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate at 5.4 percent, while Currituck County had the lowest at 2.7 percent.

Statewide, the number of employed workers increased by 32,219 during August to 5,040,683.

The number of unemployed workers decreased by 5,300 to 188,467.

County unemployment figures are not seasonally adjusted and can be affected by seasonal employment patterns.