Who is an Essential Worker?

Essential workers in North Carolina are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines. How do you know if you or a loved one is considered an essential worker?

According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, essential workers must work in one of the essential sectors listed below.

• Chemical
• Critical Manufacturing
• Commercial facilities
• Communications and information technology
• Construction, residential facilities, housing and real estate
• Defense industrial base
• Energy
• Education
• Essential Goods
• Financial services
• Food and Agriculture
• Government and Community Services
• Hazardous materials
• Healthcare and Public Health
• Hygiene products and services
• Public Safety
• Public works and infrastructure support services
• Transportation
• Water and wastewater

Chemical

Including for example:

• In petrochemical plants, agricultural chemicals, pharmaceutical facilities, consumer products

Critical Manufacturing

Including for example:

• Workers manufacturing medical supplies, medical equipment or PPE
• Workers manufacturing products needed for food and agricultural supply chains

Commercial facilities

Including for example:

• Retail workers and hotel workers

Communications and information technology

Including for example:

• Service repair dispatchers, data center operators

Construction, residential facilities, housing and real estate

Defense industrial base
Including for example:

• Workers supporting essential services to meet national security commitments

Education

Including for example:

• Childcare and K-12 educators, support staff and all in-person personnel
• College and university instructors and support staff

Energy

Including for example:

• Electric, petroleum, natural and propane gas workers

Essential Goods

Including for example:

• Workers in stores that sell groceries and medicine

Financial Services

Including for example:

• Workers who maintain systems for processing financial transactions
• Workers needed to provide consumer access to banking and lending services

Food and Agriculture

Including for example:

• Meat packing workers
• Food processing workers
• Farm workers
• Migrant farm/fishery workers
• Food distribution and supply chain workers
• Restaurant workers

Government and Community Services

Including for example:

• U.S. Postal Service and other shipping workers
• Court workers
• Elected officials
• Clergy
• Homeless shelter staff
• Veterinarians, veterinarian staff and veterinarian students

Hazardous Materials

Including for example:

• Nuclear facilities workers, workers managing medical waste

Healthcare and Public Health

Including for example:

• Public health workers
• Social workers

Hygiene Products and Services

Including for example:

• Laundromats, sanitation workers

Public Safety

Including for example:

• Firefighters and EMS
• Law enforcement
• Corrections workers
• Security officers
• Public agency workers responding to abuse and neglect

Public Works and Infrastructure Services

Including for example:

• Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, workers supporting parks

Transportation

Including for example:

• Public transit workers
• Division of Motor Vehicles workers
• Transportation maintenance and repair technicians
• Workers supporting highway infrastructure

Water and wastewater

Including for example:

• Staff at water authorities, wastewater treatment facilities, water sampling and monitoring

Vaccine supplies at UNC Health are very limited. If you are currently eligible, you must schedule an appointment to receive a vaccine. Walk-ins are not accepted.

Learn more: Get Vaccinated.