Caldwell County, NC jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meCaldwell County economy
3.1%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.7% the month before
35,034
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
80,618
people in Caldwell County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$55,401
median household income
Source: Census ACS
31%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Caldwell County ranks
Where Caldwell County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #12Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the Southeast9.3 per 10,000 · of 100
Caldwell 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 0.5% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 0.6% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 3.1%, down 0.6 points from a year ago
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−346 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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.
Caldwell County layoffs
No layoff notices naming Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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.
- Rha Health Services3 open roles
- Exela Pharma Sciences2 open roles
- Google2 open roles
- GXO Logistics2 open roles
- RPM International2 open roles
- Blue Ridge Energy1 open role
- CentriLogic1 open role
- Walgreens1 open role
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Caldwell 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- Caldwell County
Lenoir · Comprehensive · 828-759-4680
Mon, Tues, & Thurs 8:00am-5:30pm Closes for lunch 12:30pm-1:30pm, Wed 8am-12:30pm at Caldwell Library 1:30-4:30pm & Friday Closed to the public
Cities in Caldwell County
Other North Carolina counties
Laid off or looking for work in Caldwell 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.
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