North Carolina · Economy & Workforce
Labor Force Participation Rate in North Carolina
Share of civilians age 16 and older who are either employed or actively seeking work, averaged over the year.
60% in 2025
#41 of 50 · Bottom tier (higher is better)
North Carolina is worse than the 50-state median (63%). That's a gap of 3.5%.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
1976 – 2025 · North Carolina only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About labor force participation rate
What this measures: Share of civilians age 16 and older who are either employed or actively seeking work.
Why it matters: Participation captures how much of a state's working-age population is in the economy at all. Falling participation can mask a low unemployment rate.
Watch out: Aging states have structurally lower participation as more residents retire. Cross-state comparisons benefit from age-adjustment.
Recent trend
| Year | North Carolina | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 61% | 64% |
| 2017 | 61% | 64% |
| 2018 | 61% | 63% |
| 2019 | 62% | 64% |
| 2020 | 59% | 63% |
| 2021 | 60% | 62% |
| 2022 | 61% | 63% |
| 2023 | 61% | 63% |
| 2024 | 60% | 63% |
| 2025 | 60% | 63% |
North Carolina vs. neighboring states
Same metric (labor force participation rate), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Labor Force Participation Rate | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 64% | #15 of 50 |
| Tennessee | 61% | #38 of 50 |
| Georgia | 61% | #36 of 50 |
| South Carolina | 58% | #43 of 50 |
How North Carolina compares (2025)
Top 5 best
| #1 | Nebraska | 70% |
| #2 | North Dakota | 70% |
| #3 | Minnesota | 68% |
| #4 | South Dakota | 68% |
| #5 | Utah | 68% |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Florida | 58% |
| #47 | New Mexico | 58% |
| #48 | Alabama | 58% |
| #49 | Mississippi | 56% |
| #50 | West Virginia | 55% |
Source and methodology
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Direction: higher is better · Unit: %
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)