2025 Raleigh-Durham Region Labor Market Analysis Report - April - NC Community Colleges

Oct 15, 2026

2025 Raleigh-Durham Region Labor Market Analysis Report examines current and projected labor-market conditions across North Carolina community-college service counties. It summarizes employment growth (12.5% from 2018–2023), unemployment trends, and the region’s largest industry sectors and occupational groups. The report reviews labor supply versus demand, forecasts job growth by sector and occupation to 2032, and details annual openings and community-college completers by program and earnings. It also highlights recent economic development activity and provides technical documentation and data tables.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Highlights

Employment

Existing Industry Sectors and Occupational Groups

Labor Supply and Demand

Employment Projections

Focused Occupational Projections

Community College Completers and Earnings

PropelNC Workforce Sector Projections and Completers

Economic Development Projects

Appendix

North Carolina Community College System 2025 Raleigh-Durham Region Labor Market Analysis Report APRIL 2025 PERSON VANCE WARREN GRANVILLE ORANGE CHATHAM LEE FRANKLIN DURHAM WAKE JOHNSTON HARNETT Raleigh-Durham Region Counties Chatham · Durham · Franklin · Granville · Harnett · Johnston · Lee · Orange · Person · Vance · Wake · Warren NC Community Colleges serving the Raleigh-Durham Region Central Carolina CC · Durham TCC · Johnston CC · Piedmont CC · Vance-Granville CC · Wake TCC IntroducƟon This report is designed to help stakeholders understand the current and future labor market within their region. It is also a tool for North Carolina community colleges as they consider programmaƟc changes that align with the labor market and idenƟfy potenƟal opportuniƟes for programmaƟc collaboraƟon with other colleges in the region. This report speciﬁcally provides regional insights into: 􀁸 Recent trends associated with overall employment at the region and county levels 􀁸 Current regional diversity of industry sectors and occupaƟonal groups 􀁸 Projected regional changes across industry sectors and occupaƟonal groups 􀁸 Regional projecƟons for annual openings in occupaƟons requiring or preferring a community college educaƟon and their associated earnings 􀁸 Annual count of regional community college completers by program and their associated earnings 􀁸 Comparison of occupaƟonal openings and community college completers by PropelNC Workforce Sector 􀁸 Recent economic development acƟvity Region North Carolina’s 100 counties are organized into eight multi-county economic regions called Prosperity Zones, which are further divided into sixteen Sub Prosperity Zones. The Raleigh-Durham region is one of two subzones of the North Central region, encompassing the following counties: Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake, and Warren. 2025 Raleigh-Durham Region Labor Market Analysis Report 1 Highlights Employment (Pages 4-5) 􀁸 The region grew employment by 12.5% between 2018 and 2023, resulƟng in 1,140,992 workers in 2023. 􀁸 7 of 12 counƟes in the region saw growth in employment across the 6-year period. 􀁸 The regional unemployment rate was 3. 1% in 2023, below the statewide rate (3 .5%) . 􀁸 All counƟes showed a net decrease in unemployment rates across the 6-year period. In 2023, unemployment rates ranged from 2.9%-5 .4% . ExisƟng Industry Sectors and OccupaƟonal Groups (Pages 6-7) 􀁸 In 2022, the four largest industry sectors in the region were Health Care and Social Assistance, Professional, ScienƟﬁc, and Technical Services, EducaƟonal Services, and Retail Trade. 􀁸 In 2022, the four largest occupaƟonal groups in the region were Oﬃce and AdministraƟve Support, Sales and Related, Management, and TransportaƟon and Material Moving. Labor Supply and Demand (Page 8) 􀁸 During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an oversupply of job seekers relaƟve to job openings. In every year since (through 2023), job openings have outpaced labor. 􀁸 In 2023, Architecture and Engineering OccupaƟons and Healthcare Support OccupaƟons had signiﬁcantly more jobs than job seekers (raƟo: 0. 2), whereas Life, Physical, and Social Science OccupaƟons had about twice as many job seekers as available jobs (raƟo: 2.3) . Employment ProjecƟons (Pages 9-10) 􀁸 The region is projected to add 147,718 jobs between 2022 and 2032. The Healthcare and Social Assistance sector will experience the largest growth (+28,302), and the Arts, Entertainment, and RecreaƟon sector will have the largest percent growth (25 .3%) . 􀁸 Across the 10-year period, the Healthcare PracƟƟoners and Technical OccupaƟons group will experience the largest growth (+16,595), and this sector, along with the Healthcare Support OccupaƟons group, will have the fastest percent growth (20 .5%) . 2025 Raleigh-Durham Region Labor Market Analysis Report 2 Focused OccupaƟonal ProjecƟons (Pages

FAQs

What labor-market changes does the report highlight for employment and unemployment?

The region’s employment grew 12.5% between 2018 and 2023, reaching 1,140,992 workers in 2023. The unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2023, below the statewide rate, and all counties showed a net decrease over the 6-year period.

Which industry sectors and occupational groups are largest in the region?

In 2022, the largest industry sectors included Health Care and Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Educational Services, and Retail Trade. The largest occupational groups included Office and Administrative Support, Sales and Related, Management, and Transportation and Material Moving.

How does the report compare job seekers, job openings, and future demand through 2032?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, job seekers outnumbered openings, but from then through 2023 openings have outpaced labor. For 2023, architecture and engineering and healthcare support occupations had more jobs than job seekers, while life/physical/social science occupations had about twice as many job seekers as available jobs. From 2022 to 2032, the region is projected to add 147,718 jobs, with healthcare and social assistance showing the largest growth.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Taylor Morgan