Buncombe County, NC jobs, unemployment and layoffs

Buncombe County’s unemployment rate is 2.8%. Employers filed 1 layoff notices here in the last 12 months. 151 open professional jobs are in its cities.

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Buncombe County economy

2.8%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.8% the month before
137,407
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
271,790
people in Buncombe County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$70,578
median household income
Source: Census ACS
43%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS

Where Buncombe County ranks

Where Buncombe County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.

November 2026

#6Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Southeast−1.0 points · of 100
#23Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Southeast2.8% · of 100

Buncombe County outlook: Steady

Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.

Private-sector jobs down 1.1% from 2022 to 2025
Population up 2.9% from 2020 to 2025
Unemployment 2.8%, down 1.0 points from a year ago
Sectors adding the most jobs: construction (+493 jobs), wholesale (+374 jobs)
Sectors losing the most jobs: hotels & food (−1,728 jobs), admin & staffing (−955 jobs)

Local job-market news

Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Buncombe County. Each link goes to the publisher.

Rhubarb, The Rhu in Asheville announce closures 'effective immediately'Niners Wire · Oct 6, 2026

Learn and get funded in Buncombe County

Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.

Buncombe County layoffs

1
Layoff notices, last 12 months
423
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
1
employer

Layoff notices filed in Buncombe County, newest first
Notice date	Employer	City or county	Workers	Type	Source
Jan 8, 2026	Thermo Fisher ScientificTakes effect Dec 31, 2027	Buncombe County	423	Closure	State record

All layoff notices in the state

Employers hiring most in Buncombe County

Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.

Eaton11 open roles
RTX10 open roles
Rha Health Services7 open roles
Sinclair5 open roles
General Electric3 open roles
GPAC3 open roles
Greystar3 open roles
Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration3 open roles
Raymond Search Group3 open roles
Veterans Health Administration3 open roles

Colleges in Buncombe County

Colleges in Buncombe County
College	City	Type	Students
University of North Carolina Asheville	Asheville	Public 4-year	1,000–4,999
Montreat College	Montreat	Private non-profit 4-year	Under 1,000
Warren Wilson College	Swannanoa	Private non-profit 4-year	Under 1,000

Conferences in Buncombe County

Industry conferences and trade shows held in Buncombe County. 2 with dates announced.

ACI-NA/AAAE Airport Customer Experience Symposium
Mar 9 to Mar 11, 2027 · Asheville, NC
Paid ticket. Pricing not shown in the listing.
MO Summit
Apr 12 to Apr 14, 2027 · Asheville, NC
Paid ticket. Ticket price not shown on the listing read; tickets sold through the organizer Ticket Tailor page.
Digital PM Summit
Usually October (next dates not announced) · Asheville, NC
Ticket $1,150 to $1,650. 2026 ticketing listing: $1,150 Bureau member / $1,650 non-member.
NCBA Management Forum
Usually November (next dates not announced) · Asheville, NC
Ticket $900 to $1,100. Bank delegate $900; affiliate sponsor $900; affiliate non-sponsor $1,100; speakers free

All conferences

Workforce development and job centers

The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Buncombe County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.

Laid off in North Carolina? How to file for unemployment in North Carolina (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).

Mountain Area Workforce Development Board
Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Transylvania

NCWorks Career Center- Buncombe County
Asheville · Comprehensive
Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm (Closed 12:30pm-1:30pm)

Cities in Buncombe County

Other North Carolina counties

All of North Carolina

Laid off or looking for work in Buncombe County?

See what to do first and the jobs open near you.

See your options after a layoff

Sources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from North Carolina’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. North Carolina unemployment benefits and severance rules.

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