Charlotte, NC Jobs Report
Real time jobs report data summary. Figures are based on the latest data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov). All jobs numbers are for non-farm employment.
The unemployment rate fell to 6.3 percent from 6.7 percent in December, but that decline was driven by more than 400,000 people who left the workforce instead of getting jobs. U.S. employers added 49,000 jobs in January. We now have more than 9.8 million fewer jobs than the U.S. did in February 2020, recovering less than half of what was lost during the early days of the pandemic. At the current rate of growth in January, it would take more than 16 years to regain all of those jobs.
Though the employment picture remains challenging, 2021 marked a return to gains after a one-month lull in December that saw the first negative number since the recovery began in May. Vaccines have provided hope that the U.S. economy can be running at full speed in the second half of the year, though the months immediately ahead are likely to remain challenging.
*The following chart displays the latest local job growth by sector compared to the previous month. Note that if a sector experienced losses or flat growth, it will not be displayed as part of the graphic.
BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov. The BLS defines a sector as a subset of the domestic economy and excludes the economic activities of the following: general government, private households, and nonprofit organizations serving individuals. A sector consists of multiple industries. The BLS defines an industry as a group of establishments that produce similar products or provide similar services. Multiple industries makeup sectors.