High Point's jobless rate fell to 3.6% in September, the lowest for any month since at least 2016. But 203 fewer residents had jobs than a year earlier.
High Point’s unemployment rate fell to 3.6% in September. That is the lowest rate for any month in the federal figures since at least January 2016.
The rate was 4.5% in August and 4.4% in September 2025. The figures are the preliminary September estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which publishes a separate rate for the city of High Point. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
The fall came mainly from fewer people looking for work. Fewer residents also had jobs than a year earlier.
The numbers behind the rate
| High Point | September 2026 | September 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor force | 53,693 | 54,368 | 675 fewer |
| Employed | 51,752 | 51,955 | 203 fewer |
| Unemployed | 1,941 | 2,413 | 472 fewer |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.4% | down 0.8 point |
The labor force and employment counts are from the BLS labor force and employment series for the city. The unemployed count is the difference between the two.
The BLS counts someone as unemployed only if they have no job and looked for one in the past four weeks. People who stop looking leave the labor force and drop out of the rate. So the rate can fall even when fewer residents are working, as it did in High Point over the past year.
There is better news inside the month. The number of employed residents rose by 826 from August, to 51,752 from 50,926.
A September low, not just a seasonal one
High Point’s rate usually dips in September. Even so, this September is the lowest of the past 11.
| September | Rate |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5.4% |
| 2017 | 4.7% |
| 2018 | 3.9% |
| 2019 | 3.9% |
| 2020 | 8.3% |
| 2021 | 5.4% |
| 2022 | 4.0% |
| 2023 | 3.8% |
| 2024 | 3.9% |
| 2025 | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.6% (preliminary) |
Before this September, the lowest monthly rate in that stretch was 3.7%, in December 2019 and April 2022, according to the BLS series.
High Point against its neighbors
Every nearby area the BLS measures was lower than a year earlier. High Point tied Greensboro and was above Guilford County and Winston-Salem.
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| High Point | 3.6% | 4.4% |
| Greensboro, about 12 miles northeast | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Guilford County | 3.4% | 4.2% |
| Winston-Salem, about 16 miles northwest | 3.4% | 4.1% |
| North Carolina | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% |
All local and state figures are not seasonally adjusted. The September 2026 local and state figures are preliminary and may be revised next month.
August revised
The BLS also revised August slightly. High Point’s labor force is now 53,305 and employment 50,926, up from the first estimates of 53,302 and 50,922. The August rate stays at 4.5%. Our August story has the earlier figures.
What it means for you
- Looking for work: the state’s NCWorks site lists job openings near High Point.
- New employers in town: our new businesses page tracks openings in High Point.
- Home costs: our home prices page has the latest Zillow values and rents for the city.
- Next update: the BLS publishes October city figures in early December. We will report them when they appear.
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