The current hiring and labor numbers for Raleigh, Durham and the Research Triangle, with sources, updated every other Wednesday.
The Triangle is one of the tightest labor markets in North Carolina. Raleigh-Cary unemployment was 3.1% in August and Durham-Chapel Hill was 3.3%, both under the state's 3.5% and well under the national 4.2%. Job postings in Raleigh-Cary rose through September and now run ahead of the national level.
The national market around the Triangle is slow. Quits are at 1.9%, the hires rate is 3.3%, and the summer's payroll numbers were revised down by 60,000. People between jobs are taking longer to land the next one, here as elsewhere.
Raleigh sits a full point under the national unemployment rate inside a national market where almost nobody is moving. The issue covers the revisions to the summer jobs numbers, a shrinking state labor force, what this means if you're hiring or looking, and a check on the claim that everyone is hiring.
| Indicator | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary unemploymentNC Commerce · Aug · NSA · prelim | 3.1% | Down 0.1 pt from July |
| Durham–Chapel Hill unemploymentNC Commerce · Aug · NSA · prelim | 3.3% | Down 0.1 pt from July |
| North Carolina unemploymentNC Commerce · Aug · SA | 3.5% | Down 0.4 pt from a year ago |
| U.S. payroll jobs addedBLS · Sep · SA · first estimate | +29K | Prior two months revised down 60K |
| U.S. hires rateBLS JOLTS · Aug · SA | 3.3% | Quits 1.9%, openings 7.1M |
| Raleigh-Cary job postingsIndeed Hiring Lab · Oct 2 · SA · private data | 108.3 | Up from 103.9 in early September. U.S. 103.8. Feb 2020 = 100 |
WARN notices are layoffs employers must file in advance. A filing signals intent, and final numbers often come in lower. No new WARN notices were filed for the five Triangle counties in the 30 days through the state's October 2 update.
| Employer | Where | Affected | What we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTI International | RTP | ~200 | Announced Oct 1. About 120 in N.C., phased over three months. Not in the state WARN list as of Oct 2. |
| Red Storm Entertainment | Cary | 105 | WARN notice filed Mar 19, effective Sep 18. |
| Asensus Surgical | Morrisville | 108 | WARN notice filed Jun 16 as Karl Storz winds down the Senhance and Luna robots. Effective through Mar 2027. |
| Epic Games | Cary | 211 | WARN notice filed Mar 24, effective Mar 27. |
| Expansions Tracked from NC Commerce and EDPNC announcements starting with No. 02 | |||
Raleigh-Cary's unemployment rate was 3.1% in August 2026, tied with Asheville for the lowest of any North Carolina metro and down from 3.2% in July. The figure is preliminary and not seasonally adjusted (NC Commerce). Statewide September figures are due October 20, with metro figures later in the month.
Durham-Chapel Hill's unemployment rate was 3.3% in August 2026, down from 3.4% in July (NC Commerce, preliminary, not seasonally adjusted). Durham County was 3.3% and Orange County 3.5%.
Employers are posting more. Raleigh-Cary job postings on Indeed rose from 103.9 in early September to 108.3 on October 2, against a February 2020 baseline of 100 and a national reading of 103.8. Hiring nationally is slow, though, with a hires rate of 3.3% in August, so searches are taking longer than the posting numbers alone suggest.
Employers file WARN notices with the North Carolina Department of Commerce before large layoffs. This page tracks notices for Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Johnston counties. No new notices were filed for those counties in the 30 days through the state's October 2 update. RTI International announced about 200 cuts on October 1, which had not appeared in the state list as of that date.
On the first and third Wednesday of each month, alongside each issue of The Triangle Hiring Brief. The next update is October 21, 2026. Every figure on the page carries its source and month.
For what this means if you're hiring or looking, read The Triangle Hiring Brief, No. 01.
Work in the Triangle? Join the hiring panel and help build the region's own data.