Durham's jobless rate fell to 2.8% in September from 3.4% a year earlier, the county's lowest September since 2000. But slightly fewer residents were working.
Durham’s unemployment rate fell to 2.8% in September, down from 3.3% in August and 3.4% in September 2025. The city and Durham County both came in at 2.8%.
For the county, that is the lowest September rate since 2000, when it was also 2.8%. The September rate was last lower in 1999, at 2%.
The figures are preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which publishes separate series for the city and the county. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Fewer people looking, not more people working
The lower rate over the year did not come from more Durham residents finding work. In the city in September, according to the BLS:
- 168,362 people were in the labor force, down from 169,585 a year earlier.
- 163,613 people had jobs, down from 163,853.
- 4,749 people were unemployed, down from 5,732.
So about 983 fewer people were out of work and looking, while 240 fewer had jobs. The labor force shrank by 1,223.
The labor force counts people who have a job or are looking for one. Someone who stops looking leaves it, and is no longer counted as unemployed. The BLS figures do not say why people left.
From August to September the picture was better. Employment in the city rose by 2,690 and unemployment fell by 660.
Countywide, 181,513 residents had jobs in September and 5,271 were unemployed, out of a labor force of 186,784, according to the county series. A year earlier, 181,781 had jobs and 6,373 were unemployed.
These are counts of residents, wherever they work. They are not counts of the jobs in Durham.
Durham against its neighbors
| Area | September 2026 | August 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County | 2.7% | 3.1% | 3.3% |
| City of Durham | 2.8% | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Durham County | 2.8% | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Orange County | 2.8% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Wake County | 2.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Chapel Hill | 2.9% | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| Granville County | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| Person County | 2.9% | 3.3% | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 3.1% | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| United States | 4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. September 2026 figures are preliminary except the national rate. Sources: BLS series for Chatham County, Orange County, Wake County, Chapel Hill, Granville County, Person County, North Carolina and the United States.
Durham County matched Orange and Wake counties at 2.8%. Of the five counties that border Durham, only Chatham County was lower, at 2.7%. Durham was 0.3 point below the state rate and 1.2 points below the national rate.
Durham’s rate fell 0.6 point over the year, the same drop as North Carolina’s. Chapel Hill, about nine miles southwest, fell a full point, to 2.9%.
Durham County in September, over the years
| September | Durham County rate |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 2% |
| 2000 | 2.8% |
| 2010 | 7.8% |
| 2019 | 3% |
| 2020 | 5.9% |
| 2022 | 2.9% |
| 2023 | 2.9% |
| 2024 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | 3.4% |
| 2026 | 2.8% (preliminary) |
Source: the BLS Durham County series.
The past year, month by month
| Month | Durham County rate |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 3.4% |
| October 2025 | not published |
| November 2025 | 3.4% |
| December 2025 | 3.1% |
| January 2026 | 3.7% |
| February 2026 | 3.5% |
| March 2026 | 3.2% |
| April 2026 | 3.2% |
| May 2026 | 3.2% |
| June 2026 | 3.2% |
| July 2026 | 3.4% |
| August 2026 | 3.3% |
| September 2026 | 2.8% (preliminary) |
There is no October 2025 figure. The BLS did not publish the month because of the federal government shutdown that fall. Because the figures are not seasonally adjusted, a change from one month to the next can reflect the season, not a change in the job market.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work, the state’s NCWorks job board lists openings in and around Durham, and its career centers help with job searches.
- The September numbers will change. The BLS marks the latest month as preliminary and revises it the following month.
- October’s figures for Durham come in the next BLS monthly release. We will update this story when they are out.
- For more on the local economy, see our pages on new businesses and home prices.
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