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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Southeast > News Release
News Release Information

25-1449-ATL
Friday, September 19, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

North Carolina Job Openings and Labor Turnover — July 2025

North Carolina had 257,000 job openings in July 2025, compared to 281,000 openings in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in North Carolina was 4.8 percent in July and 5.2 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.3 percent in July and 4.4 percent in June. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

  Chart 1. Line chart of job openings as a percent of employment for the United States and North Carolina, seasonally adjusted. Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in North Carolina was 0.8 in July. Nationwide, 32 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in July that were lower than the national ratio of 1.0 unemployed persons per job opening; 13 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 5 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, July 2025, seasonally adjusted

(U.S. ratio = 1.0)

 

In July, North Carolina had 183,000 hires and 190,000 separations, compared to 157,000 hires and 174,000 separations in June. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in July, hires have averaged 176,000 per month and separations have averaged 168,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

  Chart 2. Line chart of hires and total separations in North Carolina, seasonally adjusted (in thousands). Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

Among the July separations in North Carolina, 135,000 were quits and 47,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 108,000 quits and 57,000 layoffs and discharges in June. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 103,000 per month, ranging from 80,000 to 135,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 57,000 per month, ranging from 38,000 to 114,000.

  Chart 3. Line chart of quits and layoffs and discharges in North Carolina, seasonally adjusted (in thousands). Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for August 2025 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.

Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:

  • A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
  • The job could start within 30 days.
  • The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.

The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.

Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.

Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and are reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.

  • Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
  • Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
  • Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.

Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.

Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for North Carolina, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
EstimateJuly 2024April 2025May 2025June 2025July 2025(p)Change from June 2025 to July 2025(p)

Openings

268295285281257-24

Hires

17124016215718326

Total separations

17115115117419016

Quits

117809810813527

Layoffs & discharges

4960445747-10

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for North Carolina, seasonally adjusted
EstimateJuly 2024April 2025May 2025June 2025July 2025(p)Change from June 2025 to July 2025(p)

Openings(1)

5.15.55.35.24.8-0.4

Hires(2)

3.44.73.23.13.60.5

Total separations(3)

3.43.03.03.43.70.3

Quits(3)

2.31.61.92.12.60.5

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.01.20.91.10.9-0.2

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
EstimateJuly 2024April 2025May 2025June 2025July 2025(p)Change from June 2025 to July 2025(p)

Openings(1)

4.54.44.64.44.3-0.1

Hires(2)

3.43.53.43.33.30.0

Total separations(3)

3.43.33.33.33.30.0

Quits(3)

2.12.02.02.02.00.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.11.11.01.11.10.0

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, September 19, 2025