Burke County’s unemployment rate fell again in April, dropping to 3.3% and landing just below North Carolina’s not-seasonally-adjusted statewide rate of 3.4%, according to figures released by the N.C. Department of Commerce.
But the local job picture is more complicated than the headline rate suggests. The county’s unemployment rate improved while its labor force also shrank.
Commerce estimated Burke County’s April labor force at 38,496 residents, with 1,259 counted as unemployed. In March, Burke had a 3.4% unemployment rate.
The year-over-year comparison shows the same mixed signal. Burke’s April unemployment rate improved from 3.5% in April 2025 to 3.3% this April. The number of unemployed residents fell from 1,391 to 1,259.
At the same time, Burke’s labor force fell from 39,854 in April 2025 to 38,496 this April.
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