Wilmington's jobless rate fell to 2.9% in September, its lowest in BLS data back to 1995. Fewer residents were out of work, but fewer had jobs than a year ago.
Wilmington’s unemployment rate fell to 2.9% in September. That is the city’s lowest rate for any month in U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data going back to 1995. The rate was 3.4% in August and 3.4% in September 2025.
The figures are the preliminary September estimates from the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier. Rates fell across the region and the state in September, too.
The numbers behind the rate
In Wilmington in September, according to the BLS:
- 66,483 people were in the labor force, down from 67,108 in September 2025.
- 64,549 people had jobs, down from 64,799.
- 1,934 people were unemployed, down from 2,309.
So the record low came mostly from fewer people looking for work. About 375 fewer residents were unemployed than a year earlier. About 250 fewer had jobs, and the labor force shrank by about 625.
From August to September, the picture was better. The number of residents with jobs rose by about 810, from a revised 63,737 to 64,549. The number unemployed fell by about 340.
These are counts of Wilmington residents, wherever they work. They are not counts of the jobs based in the city.
Every September since 2015
The city’s September rate has ranged from 2.9% this year to 6.7% in 2020, during the pandemic, according to the BLS city series. The lowest monthly rate before this one was 3.1%, recorded several times, most recently in October 2024. The city’s lowest rate before 2015 was 3.3%, in October 2006.
Wilmington against its neighbors
| Area | September 2026 | August 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| New Hanover County | 2.8% | 3.3% | 3.3% |
| Pender County | 2.9% | 3.3% | 3.5% |
| Brunswick County | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.1% |
| North Carolina | 3.1% | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted, and the September 2026 figures are preliminary. Sources: BLS series for New Hanover County, Pender County, Brunswick County, North Carolina and the United States.
New Hanover County’s 2.8% was also its lowest September rate in the BLS data back to 1995. In the county, 3,609 people were unemployed, down from 4,297 a year earlier. The number with jobs was 123,578, down slightly from 124,056.
Brunswick County, across the Cape Fear River, again had the highest rate in the group. Wilmington and the county stayed below the state and national rates.
August revised
The BLS revised its August counts for the city this month. The rate stayed at 3.4%, as we reported for August. The labor force was revised from 66,098 to 66,012, and the number with jobs from 63,818 to 63,737. New Hanover County’s August rate also stayed at 3.3%.
What it means for you
- Looking for work: the state’s job board, NCWorks.gov, lists openings in the Wilmington area.
- Read the rate with the counts: a lower rate this year came with a smaller labor force and slightly fewer residents working, so it is not on its own a sign that more jobs were filled.
- Bigger hiring ahead: Corning has said its expansion will add 414 jobs. Our story on the Corning expansion has the details.
- Next update: the BLS publishes October figures for cities and counties in early December. September’s figures may be revised then.
- Housing costs: our home prices page tracks what homes cost in Wilmington.
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