How the Charlotte region added more jobs than all but one US metro area in 2025
The Charlotte region ranked second in the nation for total job growth last year, trailing only New York City, according to new federal data.
Employers in the Queen City area added 37,600 jobs in 2025, according to the report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the New York City region added more total positions (48,400), Charlotte significantly outpaced the nation’s largest metro in terms of growth rate.
Among metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 1 million, Charlotte saw a 2.7% annual increase, dwarfing New York’s 0.5% gain. These were for nonfarm payroll jobs.
Charlotte was one of only five major metro areas to record significant employment increases. The Philadelphia region ranked third for total gains, with 36,400 jobs, while Salt Lake City added 15,300.
This regional surge comes as the broader national labor market shows signs of cooling.
The national unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.1% over the past year, with 255 out of 387 metro areas reporting higher jobless rates. While much of the country faced stagnant hiring, Charlotte bucked the trend by continuing to secure major corporate investments.
Anchored by Mecklenburg County, the metro area comprises 10 counties in North Carolina and four in South Carolina.
Charlotte region job growth fueled by major employers
Last year, the region welcomed several high-profile expansions, including Scout Motors, which is projected to create more than 1,200 jobs over the next five years. Additionally, Daimler Truck North America is adding more than 270 positions to its regional operations.
Chuck McShane, senior director of market analytics for CoStar Group/Homes.com, attributed the trend to a magnet effect, where businesses and residents follow talent.
“While population and job growth are slowing throughout the country, Charlotte is becoming a magnet,” McShane said. “I’ve been saying Charlotte’s taking a bigger slice of a smaller pie.”
McShane described it as a cycle where the addition of high-paying office jobs triggers a secondary surge in other sectors, including housing, construction, retail, and hospitality. This is reflected in the local real estate market; Charlotte consistently ranks in the top three nationally for office leasing and absorption, rivaling much larger hubs like New York and Dallas.
“Charlotte is definitely punching above its weight class,” McShane added.
Newcomers help spur on Charlotte job growth
The cornerstone of this expansion is a steady influx of new residents.
Recent U.S. Census Bureau data showed that North Carolina led the nation in domestic migration from July 2024 through July 2025, with a net gain of more than 84,000 residents from other states.
While former boom towns in Florida and Texas have begun to struggle with rising costs, the Carolinas have maintained a sweet spot of relative value and high quality of life, according to McShane.
“I really put it down to population growth more than anything else,” McShane said. “As markets like Florida and Texas have slowed a little bit, the Carolinas have continued to grow, and Charlotte’s benefited from that.”
What’s ahead for Charlotte’s labor market in 2026?
Looking ahead, the region enters 2026 with a civilian labor force surpassing 1.5 million workers.
While McShane cautioned that the record-breaking pace of 2025 may see some revisions because of the preliminary nature of the data from the bureau, he believes the structural health of the region remains intact.
“We probably won’t see that level of job growth year after year,” he said. “But because of the amount of population growth we’ve had here, Charlotte will continue to outperform.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
