Wilkes County, NC jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meWilkes County economy
3.2%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.9% the month before
25,441
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
65,983
people in Wilkes County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$50,438
median household income
Source: Census ACS
29%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Wilkes 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 5.2% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 0.5% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 3.2%, down 0.7 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+579 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: retail (−929 jobs), manufacturing (−316 jobs)
Learn and get funded in Wilkes 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.
Wilkes County layoffs
1
Layoff notices, last 12 months
127
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
1
employer
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina West WirelessTakes effect Aug 24, 2026 | Wilkes County | 127 | Closure | State record |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Wilkes 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- Wilkes County
North Wilkesboro · Comprehensive · 336-838-5164
Mon-Thurs 8am-5pm (Closed 12:00pm-1:00pm); Fri 8am-12pm
Cities in Wilkes County
Other North Carolina counties
Laid off or looking for work in Wilkes 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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