Watauga County, NC jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meWatauga County economy
2.6%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.4% the month before
28,833
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
54,607
people in Watauga County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$51,367
median household income
Source: Census ACS
40%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Watauga County ranks
Where Watauga County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #7Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Southeast2.6% · of 100
- #24Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Southeast−0.8 points · of 100
Watauga 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 0.9% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 0.6% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 2.6%, down 0.8 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+459 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: hotels & food (−351 jobs)
Learn and get funded in Watauga 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.
Watauga County layoffs
No layoff notices naming Watauga 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.
Colleges in Watauga County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State University | Boone | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine | Sugar Grove | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Watauga 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).
- High Country Workforce Development Board
Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey
NCWorks Career Center- Watauga County
Boone · Comprehensive · 828-278-6460
Mon-Thurs 8:00am-5pm Closed 12pm-1pm ; Fri 8am-12pm
Other North Carolina counties
Laid off or looking for work in Watauga 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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