Burke County unemployment hits recent low at 2.9% in December, outperforms North Carolina average

Burke County’s unemployment rate in December dropped to 2.9 percent from 3.2 percent the previous month, according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Out of a civilian workforce in Burke County of 40,580, 1,169 were unemployed in December, down from 1,296 in the previous month, according to the data. 

Viewed from a different perspective, across Burke, 39,411 residents out of a civilian workforce of 40,580 were actively employed, according to the Labor Statistics data which was updated Feb. 6.

December’s unemployment  rate was the lowest since April 2023. The average across North Carolina was 3.5 percent.

The Bureau defines unemployed persons as all persons who had no employment during December 2023, were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment some time during the preceding four week-period. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.