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Labor Market Information Questions

When are the state and county unemployment rates released?
The schedule for release of unemployment rate data is as follows:

U. S. rate, seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted	1st Friday in each month*
State rate, seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted	3rd Friday in each month*
County rates, only available not seasonally adjusted	4th Friday in each month*
*At times throughout the year these dates may vary slightly due to holidays.

Press releases of unemployment rates will contain the next scheduled release of information. To view the most current press releases select Unemployment Rate News Releases from the Public and Media Information page.

Where Can I Find ...?

Easy Access to Workforce Data
Click on the D4-Demand Driven Data Delivery System to view, download and print data for a selected geography. This link eliminates the need to visit several areas on the LMI web site to access data such as Labor Force Statistics, Quarterly Industry Employment and Wages, Monthly Employment Statistics, Occupational Wages and Business Closings and Layoffs.

Employment/Unemployment Data
Employment, unemployment, unemployment rate and civilian labor force data for North Carolina, its counties, geographic areas and the United States. Look under Workforce Information, then click on Labor Force Statistics - Employed, Unemployed & Unemployment Rates. This data is updated each month and is available back to 1990.

N.C. Announced Business Closings/Layoffs
Look under Workforce Information, then click on Announced Business Closings and Layoffs. This data is compiled monthly and is archived to 1987.

Employment and Wages for Various Industries
Look under Industry Information, click on Employment and Wages by Industry, then Employment and Wages by Industry, 1990 to Most Recent. This data is compiled quarterly and is available for N.C. counties and other geographic areas, as well as the United States.

North Carolina's Largest Employers
Look under Industry Information, click on North Carolina's Largest Employers. Choose Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing Employers, Manufacturing Employers Only or Non-Manufacturing Employers Only. To view the 25 Largest Employers by County, select the link to D4 - Demand Driven Data Delivery System and then select the county or counties you would like to view. The data for 25 Largest Firms are compiled quarterly and compiled annually for manufacturing and non-manufacturing employers.

Projected Occupational and Industry Growth and Trends in North Carolina
Look under Industry Information or Occupational Information, then click on Projections. This data is available for North Carolina and for Workforce Board Areas. It provides occupational and industry projections that reflect employment growth and trends.

N.C. Wages for Various Occupations
For both annual and hourly wages, look under Occupational Information, then click on Employment and Wages by Occupation. This data is available by county and is compiled from a biannual survey of a sample of firms.

Affirmative Action Information for Occupations
Information based on Census 2000 for North Carolina and Counties. Look under Occupational Information, then click on Affirmative Action Packets. You will find a link to the U.S. Census Bureau web site to access the information.

Workforce In-Depth
These customized reports contain labor force data, per capita income, average weekly wage, commuting patterns, 2000 Census population as well as other significant economic data for N.C. counties. Reports may be produced for a single county or a multi-county area. Look under Information Access Tools, then click on Workforce In-Depth.

Local Employment Dynamics (LED)
LED is a collaboration of the U.S. Census Bureau and LMI resulting in a statistical program that pools state and federal data resources to provide enhanced information supporting local and regional workforce and economic development efforts. Look under Information Access Tools, then select Local Employment Dynamics Program (LED).

Geographic-Based Economic Information
WebSARAS provides geographic-based economic data, including population estimates, occupation and wage projections. Look under Information Access Tools, then click on WebSARAS.

Occupational Training Information
NC STARS is a searchable database containing information on a variety of available training programs, including cost, location and Workforce Board approval for funding. Look under Information Access Tools, the click on NC STARS.

Career Resources
The North Carolina State Occupational Coordinating Committee (NC SOICC) provides a career-resource network for information on occupations and industries; guides to choosing a college; financial aid information; guides to writing resumes and cover letters; interviewing tips and other career planning information. Look under Career Management Tools, then click on NC Career Resource Network.

Publications, Research and Reports

• NC Today is a monthly review of North Carolina labor market conditions with comparative data from the United States and selected Southern states that looks at various aspects of the economy.



• Insight: North Carolina's Labor and Economic Outlook is a quarterly newsletter featuring articles on timely topics about workforce trends, employment, as well as key economic indicators.



• Labor Market Conditions provides an expanded overview of state and county labor force, employment and unemployment data in a narrative and graphic format.



• MAPS created by the Labor Market Information (LMI) Division is a listing of various maps created for Economic Development Regions, Workforce Board Areas and as special requests. All maps may be downloaded.



• Workforce Development Boards (WDB) is a collection of all WDB LMI updates, area specific brochures and selected maps that have been produced by the Labor Market Information Division. Information is displayed in a directory of the WDBs that can be accessed by clicking on Workforce Development Boards.



• Career Choices is a yearly publication produced by SOICC and the North Carolina Career Resource Network for youth and adults preparing for careers in the workforce today. The publication is available online or may be downloaded.

All publications produced by LMI are available online by clicking on Publications, Research & Reports.

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