Catawba 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 meCatawba County economy
3.1%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.5% the month before
75,347
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
162,051
people in Catawba County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$64,544
median household income
Source: Census ACS
35%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Catawba 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 1.2% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 5.8% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 3.1%, down 0.4 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: hotels & food (+939 jobs), health care (+928 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−1,405 jobs), transportation & warehousing (−1,286 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Catawba 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 Catawba 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.
Catawba County layoffs
1
Layoff notices, last 12 months
93
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
1
employer
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTGU, LLCTakes effect Dec 16, 2026 | Catawba County | 93 | Closure | State record |
Employers hiring most in Catawba 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.
- Prysmian S.p.A.12 open roles
- LifePoint Health4 open roles
- Profile Products3 open roles
- Transportation Insight3 open roles
- CommScope2 open roles
- Computer Task Group2 open roles
- Corning2 open roles
- Williams-Sonoma2 open roles
- ABM Industries1 open role
- American Axle & Manufacturing1 open role
Colleges in Catawba County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | Hickory | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Catawba 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- Catawba County
Conover · Comprehensive · 828-468-6947
Monday-Thursday 8am-5:30pm;(Closes for lunch 12:30pm-1:30pm)
Cities in Catawba County
Other North Carolina counties
Laid off or looking for work in Catawba 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 Catawba 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 Catawba County.