Huntersville's jobless rate fell to 2.9% in September, the lowest in the area, from 3.4% a year earlier. 72 more residents had jobs and 209 fewer were looking.
Huntersville’s unemployment rate fell to 2.9% in September, down from 3.1% in August and 3.4% in September 2025. That is the lowest rate among the nearby cities the federal government tracks. Cornelius was next at 3%.
Updated Oct. 29: this story first reported the August figures. It now leads on the preliminary September estimates, with the revised August numbers below.
This time the lower rate came with more people working. About 36,121 residents had jobs, 72 more than a year earlier. About 1,064 were out of work and looking, 209 fewer.
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 Huntersville. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Huntersville against its neighbors
| Area | September 2026 | August 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntersville | 2.9% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Cornelius | 3% | 3.1% | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 3.1% | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| Kannapolis | 3.2% | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Mooresville | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.5% |
| Concord | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.6% |
| Charlotte | 3.3% | 3.7% | 3.9% |
| Mecklenburg County | 3.3% | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| 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 Cornelius, North Carolina, Kannapolis, Mooresville, Concord, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the United States.
Huntersville’s rate was below the county, state and national rates. Cornelius, about five miles north, was 0.1 point higher. Mooresville, about 12 miles north, and Charlotte, about 14 miles south, were 3.2% and 3.3%.
Huntersville’s rate was 0.5 point lower than a year earlier, the same drop as Mecklenburg County. North Carolina, Charlotte and Kannapolis, about 13 miles away, fell 0.6 point. Cornelius and Mooresville fell 0.3 point.
The numbers behind the rate
In Huntersville in September, according to the BLS:
- 37,185 people were in the labor force, down from 37,322 a year earlier.
- 36,121 people had jobs, up from 36,049.
- 1,064 people were unemployed, down from 1,273.
The labor force counts people who have a job or are looking for one. The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force without a job and looking for one. In August, the rate fell mostly because fewer people were looking for work. In September, employment also rose, by 514 from August and by 72 from a year earlier.
The same pattern ran across the area. Cornelius, Mooresville, Concord, Kannapolis, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County all had slightly more residents working than in September 2025.
These are counts of Huntersville residents, wherever they work. They are not counts of the jobs in town. The BLS builds its city estimates partly from county data, so they move closely with Mecklenburg County’s, as its methodology page explains.
August, revised
The BLS revised Huntersville’s August figures this month. The rate stayed at 3.1%. The labor force was revised to 36,733 (first reported as 36,705), employment to 35,607 (35,578) and unemployment to 1,126 (1,127). Kannapolis’s August rate was revised to 3.6% from 3.5%.
The past year, month by month
Huntersville’s rate moved between 2.9% and 3.9% over the year. September was the lowest month; January and February were the highest.
| Month | Huntersville rate |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 3.4% |
| October 2025 | not published |
| November 2025 | 3.4% |
| December 2025 | 3% |
| January 2026 | 3.9% |
| February 2026 | 3.9% |
| March 2026 | 3.4% |
| April 2026 | 3.1% |
| May 2026 | 3.1% |
| June 2026 | 3.2% |
| July 2026 | 3.2% |
| August 2026 | 3.1% |
| September 2026 | 2.9% (preliminary) |
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. There is no October 2025 figure. The BLS lists the month as “data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations,” the federal government shutdown that fall.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work, the state’s NCWorks job board lists openings in and around Huntersville, 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 Huntersville 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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