Buncombe unemployment at 4.1 percent, Asheville metro ranks third-lowest

A state Department of Commerce report released Jan. 16, 2026, showed Buncombe County's unemployment rate at 4.1 percent for November 2025, with a labor force of about 141,106 people. That rate translates to roughly 5,784 residents counted as unemployed in the county and places the Asheville metro area one notch lower at 4.0 percent, the third-lowest unemployment rate among North Carolina's 15 metropolitan areas.

The report also flagged a modest statewide shift: compared with November 2024, total employment in North Carolina dipped slightly while the number of unemployed residents increased. Those statewide movements suggest a mild cooling of labor-market conditions that local officials and employers will want to track as they plan hiring, retention and workforce development efforts.

For Buncombe residents, the headline numbers carry practical weight. A 4.1 percent unemployment rate remains below many historical peaks yet is higher than the Asheville metro’s 4.0 percent, signaling that local labor conditions are broadly healthy compared with most of the state but not immune to broader headwinds. The labor-force count of roughly 141,106 shows the scale of the local job market and highlights that small percentage shifts represent thousands of households affected by work and income changes.

Regional comparisons in the report placed Asheville among the stronger metro markets in the state; metros with lower rates were limited, and multiple counties and metros registered higher unemployment. That pattern means Buncombe sits closer to the lower end of the state distribution, which tends to ease some hiring pressures for employers while giving workforce planners room to focus on targeted training and placement for residents who remain out of work.

Market implications include a potential easing of wage pressure if the trend of rising unemployed continues, and a modest increase in available labor for employers that are expanding or still hiring. For local policymakers, the shift argues for maintaining investments in job search assistance, short-term training and placement services that can move residents back into employment quickly, especially if the early signs of statewide softening persist.

The next robust data release is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2026, when updated county and metro figures will provide a clearer read on whether November’s changes were temporary or the start of a trend. For Buncombe residents and officials, the coming weeks offer an opportunity to translate these numbers into actionable hiring strategies and workforce supports tailored to the county’s roughly 141,106-strong labor force.