- Asheville metro 3.0% unemployment rate for February 2023
- Governor Cooper visits Canton, pledges state help with Pactiv Evergreen closure
- Construction Industry Has Work, Needs More Workers
- Construction fair recruits next gen for trade industry
- America Is Back in the Factory Business
- Asheville metro ranks #23 best labor market in the nation our of 326 small metros
- What Has Driven the Labor Force Participation Gap since February 2020?
- Construction Career Day
- Proposed policy solutions for addressing the child care shortage
- NC's unemployment rate falls to 3.6% in February
- State of Our Workforce WNC survey results from 795 employers released
- NCWorks Career Center Asheville workshops April and May 2023
- Mountain Area Careers
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Unemployment rate in Mountain Area region 3.0% as of February 2023. As of February 2023, 352 more people working compared to February 2022. 90 more people working compared to January 2023.
Unemployed Individuals by month (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties):
February 2023 6,696
January 2023 6,808
December 2022 6,285
November 2022 6,781
October 2022 7,343
September 2022 5,953
August 2022 6,938
July 2022 6,562
June 2022 7,591
May 2022 6,792
April 2022 6,198
March 2022 6,347
February 2022 6,603
January 2022 6,669
December 2021 5,584
November 2021 6,038
October 2021 6,547
September 2021 6,917
Total Labor Force 221,051
Total Employed Labor Force 214,355
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Mountain Area WDB Job Openings |
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Mountain Area WDB Labor Force |
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Mountain Area WDB Employed Individuals |
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Mountain Area WDB Unemployment Rate |
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Mountain Area WDB Unemployed Individuals |
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Asheville MSA Industry Jobs Compared to One Year Ago |
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Mountain Area WDB Taxable Retail Sales |
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Asheville metro unemployment rate at 3.0%, lowest of any NC metro |
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Asheville metro now (as of February 2023) the lowest unemployment of any NC metro at 3.0%. This rate is .2% lower than the metro unemployment rate of 3.2% of one year ago. All counties in our region have an unemployment rate lower than the statewide rate of 3.6%. Buncombe is tied with Watauga for the #2 lowest unemployment rate of any NC county behind Orange at 2.8%.
Buncombe 2.9%
Haywood 3.2%
Henderson 3.1%
Madison 3.5%
Transylvania 3.4%
Monthly job growth by metro:
- Wilmington 1.0%
- Goldsboro 0.5%
- Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia 0.4%
- New Bern 0.4%
- Rocky Mount 0.4%
- Winston-Salem 0.4%
- Raleigh 0.3%
- Asheville 0.2%
- Burlington 0.0%
- Fayetteville 0.0%
- Greenville 0.0%
- Hickory/Lenoir/Morganton -0.1%
- Durham/Chapel Hill -0.2%
- Greensboro/High Point -0.2%
- Jacksonville -0.4%
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Governor Cooper visits Canton, pledges state help with Pactiv Evergreen closure |
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Gov. Cooper visits Canton, pledges state help
Governor Roy Cooper visited Canton Thursday afternoon. He met with Evergreen's workers, the town's residents, and leaders. It comes ahead of the plant's impending closure.
Read more
wlos.com
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Construction Industry Has Work, Needs More Workers |
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Construction Industry Has Work, Needs More Workers
The construction industry has become a pillar of strength in the U.S. economy, despite contractors paying more for expenses and facing labor shortages. A robust nonresidential construction sector is offsetting home construction in the U.S. ...
Read more
www.wsj.com
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Construction fair recruits next gen for trade industry |
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Construction fair recruits next gen for trade industry
The Western North Carolina Construction Career Day was a hit this week at the Smoky Mountain Event Center, returning for the first time since the pandemic. Over 900 high school students from 16 counties across Western North Carolina participated...
Read more
www.themountaineer.com
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America Is Back in the Factory Business |
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America Is Back in the Factory Business
Production at U.S. factories rose last year, but few things were produced at a more furious pace than factories themselves. Construction spending related to mfg reached $108 billion in 2022, Census Bureau data show, highest annual total on record...
Read more
www.wsj.com
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Asheville ranks #23 best labor market in the nation among 326 small metros |
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See How Your Region Stacks Up Vs. Best Labor Markets in USA
Music City, U.S.A., and America's recreational-vehicle capital are the country's hottest job markets, according to The Wall Street Journal's annual rankings of nearly 400 metro areas.
Read more
www.wsj.com
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What Has Driven the Labor Force Participation Gap since February 2020? |
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What Has Driven Labor Force Participation Gap since 2020?
The U.S. labor force participation rate (LFPR) currently stands at 62.5 percent, 0.8 percentage point below its level in February 2020. This "participation gap" translates into 2.1 million workers out of the labor force.
Read more
libertystreeteconomics.newy...
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Proposed policy solutions for addressing the child care shortage |
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Proposed policy solutions for addressing child care shortage
Labor shortages among child care providers and their challenges raising pay limit the number of children facilities can serve. This places pressure on parents and leads some to restrict their labor supply, among other economic impacts.
Read more
www.commerce.nc.gov
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North Carolina's unemployment rate falls to 3.6% in February |
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North Carolina unemployment rate falls to 3.6% in February
North Carolina's unemployment rate declined to 3.6% in February, the state Commerce Department announced on Friday, marking its lowest level since last June. The seasonally adjusted rate fell from 3.8%, where it had sat for the previous two months.
Read more
www.wunc.org
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State of Our Workforce WNC survey results from 795 employers released |
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Overall, respondents to the 2022 survey anticipate hiring between 22,150 and 44,140 total new employees in the next three years.
- Healthcare and Manufacturing Industry employers anticipate the largest hiring needs.
- Employers seek workers with degrees and credentials.
- Employers will rely on on-the-job training to develop and strengthen existing workforces.
- Employers cite housing cost/availability, wages and child care as the most significant obstacles to talent recruitment and retention.
- Employers continue to hire through friends and networks, but are also utilizing online job portals to source their talent.
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The average talent pipeline rating was 2.83 out of 5.
- Internships are the most preferred method of K-12 student engagement but methods vary by industry.
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The State of Our Workforce: Western NC
Our goal with The State of Our Workforce: Western NC is to identify solutions to close the skills gap and strengthen our local talent pool -which will ensure that companies in our area have the resources and people they need to succeed.
Read more
www.ashevillechamber.org
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Challenges mountain biz owners likely to face in coming yrs
A new survey has provided insight into the successes and challenges of the workforce in Western North Carolina.
Read more
wlos.com
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NCWorks Career Center Asheville workshops April and May 2023 |
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NC Jobs | Mountain Area Careers | Western North Carolina
Create Your Future in the Mountains of Western North Carolina. Find jobs from great employers. Earn a steady living and advance your career.
Read more
www.mountainareacareers.org
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