Burke County, NC jobs, unemployment and layoffs
Independent page. Not from or affiliated with the State of North Carolina.
Looking for work in North Carolina? See where you stand.
Not sure you match what employers here are hiring for? Get a free read on your fit, the jobs open near you and a plan for the weeks ahead.
Show me jobs near meBurke County economy
2.9%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.7% the month before
38,209
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
87,863
people in Burke County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$55,684
median household income
Source: Census ACS
30%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Burke County ranks
Where Burke County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #17Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Southeast−0.8 points · of 100
- #18Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the Southeast8.9 per 10,000 · of 100
Burke 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 up 2.6% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 1.6% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 2.9%, down 0.8 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+343 jobs), hotels & food (+337 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: admin & staffing (−636 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Burke County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Hickory's US Conec Pours $150M Into Expansion, Adding 224 Jobs for AI BoomHoodline · Oct 22, 2026
Learn and get funded in Burke 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.
Burke County layoffs
No layoff notices naming Burke County in the last 12 months are on file. The WARN Act covers employers with 100 or more workers, so smaller layoffs are not in it.
Employers hiring most in Burke 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.
- M Force Staffing2 open roles
- Hexion1 open role
- Leviton1 open role
- M Force Recruiting1 open role
- Morganton Day School1 open role
- Rural King1 open role
- SGL Carbon1 open role
- Vulcan Materials1 open role
- Woot Roofing1 open role
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Burke 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).
- Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board
Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba
NCWorks Career Center- Burke County
Morganton · Comprehensive · 828-544-6926
Mon-Tues 8:00am-5:30pm, Wed-8.00am-12:30pm (Closed Lunch 12:30p-1:30p)
Cities in Burke County
Other North Carolina counties
Laid off or looking for work in Burke County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: 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.
Applying and hearing nothing back?
Find out where you stand: your odds, the jobs that fit you and a plan for the week ahead. Free. No résumé needed.
Already a member? Log in
Job seekers in Burke County looking to you for help, or openings you cannot fill?
Leave your work email. We'll send how organizations use NextChapter to reach job seekers in Burke County.