Greensboro's jobless rate was 4.3% in August, down from 4.8% a year earlier. About 900 fewer residents were unemployed, but about 1,800 fewer were in the labor force.
Updated Oct. 31: The rate fell to 3.6% in September, and the bureau revised August’s counts slightly. The table below shows the revised figures. Read our September report.
Greensboro’s unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2026, down from 4.8% in August 2025. The drop came mostly from fewer people in the labor force, not from more people working.
The figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics for the city of Greensboro. The August number is preliminary and can be revised.
The numbers
| Greensboro residents | August 2025 | August 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor force | 149,106 | 147,296 | down 1,810 |
| Unemployed | 7,196 | 6,292 | down 904 |
| Employed | 141,910 | 141,004 | down 906 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.3% | down 0.5 points |
The labor force counts residents who have a job or are looking for one. The BLS publishes the labor force and the number unemployed. The employed figure in the table is the difference between the two.
So the number of unemployed residents fell by about 900. But the number of residents with a job also fell, by about 900. The rate dropped because about 1,800 fewer people were working or looking for work.
The figures count where people live, not where they work. A Greensboro resident with a job in High Point, about 12 miles southwest, counts as employed in Greensboro.
Month to month
The rate ticked down from 4.4% in July. It has moved between 4.0% and 4.8% for the past year.
There is no figure for October 2025. The BLS lists that month as “data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations,” the federal government shutdown.
These city and county rates are not seasonally adjusted. That means they rise and fall with the school year, the holidays and summer jobs. The fairest comparison is the same month a year earlier.
Guilford County
Guilford County’s rate followed the same path. It was 4.2% in August 2026, down from 4.7% a year earlier, according to the BLS county series. The county was at 4.3% in July.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work: about 6,300 Greensboro residents were in the same position in August. NCWorks, the state’s job service, lists openings and career centers on ncworks.gov.
- If you are watching the local economy: a falling rate is good news only if jobs are growing. In August, the count of employed residents was slightly lower than a year earlier.
- Next update: September’s figures are in our September report.
For more on the city’s numbers, see our pages on Greensboro’s population and home prices.
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