Employment rose in 10 of the 14 largest counties in North Carolina from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Buncombe County (+3.7 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in North Carolina, December 2025

County	Percent change, December 2025
Buncombe	3.7
Cabarrus	2.5
Pitt	2.5
New Hanover	2.2
Wake	2.0
Mecklenburg	1.4
Catawba	1.0
Forsyth	0.7
Guilford	0.6
Iredell	0.4
Gaston	-0.1
Orange	-0.6
Cumberland	-0.8
Durham	-0.9

Mecklenburg County (803,200) had the highest employment level in North Carolina in December 2025. Together, the 14 largest counties accounted for 62.2 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Average weekly wage gains in 7 of 13 large counties in North Carolina with published data were above the national average of 4.2 percent. (See chart 2.) Gaston had the largest gain (+6.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among the other 12 large North Carolina counties ranged from 6.1 percent to 1.5 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in North Carolina, fourth quarter 2025

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2025
Gaston	6.8
New Hanover	6.1
Catawba	5.8
Pitt	5.7
Forsyth	5.1
Guilford	4.4
Durham	4.3
Wake	4.1
Iredell	3.4
Mecklenburg	3.4
Cabarrus	2.0
Orange	1.8
Buncombe	1.5

Weekly wages in 4 of the 14 largest counties in North Carolina were above the national average of $1,569. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,074 in Durham to $1,111 in Cumberland.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 86 smaller counties in North Carolina, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all smaller counties were below the national average. Union reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,307). Pamlico reported the lowest average weekly wage ($799) in the state.

Among all 100 North Carolina counties, 34 reported average weekly wages less than $1,000, 18 had wages from $1,000 to $1,049, 17 had wages from $1,050 to $1,099, 11 had wages from $1,100 to $1,149, and 20 had average weekly wages of $1,150 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)