Mountain Area Works Highlights
  • Labor Market Update May 2021 - AVL metro 4.0% #3 lowest in NC
  • For Many Jobs, Signing Bonuses of $1,000 - and Up - Are the New Norm
  • Indeed Job Seeker Survey June 2021: COVID Concerns and Financial Cushions Make Job Search Less Urgent
  • Anderson Automotive's Apprenticeship Story Highlights Local Success
  • Pratt & Whitney plans on operations by 2022; hiring, recruiting starts soon
  • NC4ME WNC Hiring Event coming soon
  • Jabil Healthcare breaks ground in Henderson County
  • Employer Use of Hiring Incentives Grow
  • Forget Going Back to the Office - People Are Just Quitting
  • Hotels' and Restaurants' Rebound Summer Held Back by Shortages of Everything
  • NC Employment Projections and Star Jobs Rankings Released
  • Wage Gains at Factories Fall Behind Fast Food
  • Tight Labor Market Returns the Upper Hand to American Workers
  • Census Bureau: Why Did Labor Force Participation Rate Decline When Economy Was Good?
  • $17 per hour and Beyond Job Fair attracts 300
  • Land of Sky selected as one of 15 local collaboratives by myFutureNC and ncIMPACT
  • Where Are the Job Seekers?
  • NCWorks Career Center Job Seeker Workshops for June and July
  • Demographic Drought - How the Approaching Sansdemic Will Transform the Labor Market for the Rest of Our Lives
  • Please respond to My Future NC/Land of Sky Human Talent Survey
  • Labor force shortage isn't easy to explain
  • Employers: Four Strategies for Hiring in a Tight Labor Market
  • As NC's unemployment rate keeps falling, people seeking work drops
  • 1,310 individuals filed an unemployment claim in our region for May 2021
  • NCWorks: Work on What's Next
  • Mountain Area Careers
Labor Market Update
As of May 2021, 18,100 more people working compared to May 2020. 300 less people working compared to April 2021.
Mountain Area WDB Regional Labor Market Overview

From the NC Department of Commerce, Labor & Economic Analysis Division (LEAD).

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analytics.nccommerce.com
Asheville metro unemployment rate at 4.0%, #3 lowest of any NC metro
Asheville metro now (as of May 2021) has the #3 lowest unemployment of any NC metro at 4.0%. This rate is 13.1% lower than the metro unemployment rate of 17.1% of one year ago.

Buncombe 4.1%

Haywood 4.1%

Henderson 3.9%
Madison 4.0%

Transylvania 3.9%

Compared to May 2020, the Asheville metro added 18,100 jobs and compared to April 2021 the Asheville metro lost 200 jobs.

Compared to May 2021, the Leisure & Hospitality sector added 67.5% (10,200 jobs) of the total jobs in the sector, Other Services added 15.0% (1,200 jobs) of the total jobs in the sector, Information added 6.3% (100 jobs) of the total jobs in the sector, Manufacturing added 9.2% (1,800 jobs) of the total jobs in the sector, Government added 2.0% (500 jobs) of the total jobs in the sector, Education & Health Services added 1.5% (500 jobs) of the total jobs in the sector. Mining Logging & Construction added 5.4% (500 jobs), Professional & Business Services added 0.6% (100 jobs) of the total jobs in the sector, Financial Activities added 5.0% (300 jobs) and Trade, Transportation & Utilities added 9.0% (2,900 jobs) compared one year ago.

Asheville metro has the #2 greatest increase in jobs (10.8%) in NC in the past year. Year over Year job growth by metro (all NC metros have experienced job gains in the past year):

  1. Wlmington 11.3%
  2. Asheville 10.8%
  3. Hickory/Lenoir/Morganton 9.8%
  4. Winston-Salem 9.9%
  5. Raleigh 9.8%
  6. Burlington 9.5%
  7. Greenville 9.3%
  8. Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia 8.1%
  9. Jacksonville 7.8%
  10. Greensboro/High Point 6.9%
  11. Fayetteville 6.7%
  12. Rocky Mount 6.5%
  13. Durham/Chapel Hill 6.0%
  14. New Bern 5.5%
  15. Goldsboro 1.8%
For Many Jobs, Signing Bonuses of $1,000 - and Up - And the New Norm
For Many Jobs, Signing Bonuses of $1K & Up-Are the New Norm

As companies grow more desperate to fill open roles, jobs for truck drivers, warehouse workers and hotel cleaners now come with perks

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www.wsj.com
COVID Concerns and Financial Cushions Make Job Search Less Urgent
COVID Concern, Financial Cushion Make Job Search Less Urgent

In a new Indeed survey, many job seekers say they don't feel a sense of urgency to get work, but that may change in the fall. Key Results A new Indeed survey finds that many job seekers don't express a sense of urgency about finding a new job.

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www.hiringlab.org
Anderson Automotive's Apprenticeship Story Highlights Local Sucess
Anderson Automotive Group

Seth Rhinehart, HR Business Partner & Talent Specialist Finding qualified automotive technicians has become quite a challenge. “The talent shortage had gotten so bad, we were posting jobs and getting one or two applications a month,”

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www.apprenticeshipnc.com
Pratt & Whitney plans on operations by 2022; hiring, recruiting starts soon
Pratt & Whitney plans on operations by 2022; hiring soon

Work is moving full steam ahead at the new $650 million Pratt & Whitney manufacturing facility under construction in southern Buncombe County, and a company official said production should begin there in the second half of 2022.

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www.citizen-times.com
NC4ME Western Region NCWorks Networking and Hiring Event
NC4ME + Western-Region NCWorks Virtual Hiring Event

During the midst of COVID-19 NC4ME is taking every precaution to keep our employers, candidates, volunteers and staff safe. We know that employment needs have increased over the past few months and are making every effort to meet those needs-...

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nc4me.org
Jabil breaks ground in Henderson County
Jabil Breaks Ground in Garrison Industrial Park

Jabil Inc. broke ground on their 18.65-acre tract in Garrison Industrial Park, recognizing not only the multi-million dollar investment Jabil will make in Henderson County, but also the creation of the industrial park.

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gohendersoncountync.org
Employer Use of Hiring Incentives Grow
Employer Use of Hiring Incentives Grows - Indeed Hiring Lab

Job seeker searches for bonuses have surged. Key Points: The share of job postings advertising hiring incentives, such as signing bonuses, retention bonuses, and cash incentives, has doubled since last July.

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www.hiringlab.org
Forget Going Back to the Office - People Are Just Quitting
Forget Going Back to the Office-People Are Just Quitting

More U.S. workers are quitting their jobs than at any time in at least two decades, signaling optimism among many professionals while also adding to the struggle companies face trying to keep up with the economic recovery.

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www.wsj.com
Hotels' & Restaurants' Rebound Summer Held Back by Shortages of Everything
Hotels & Restaurants Rebound Summer Held Back by Shortages

Shut for long stretches because of pandemic, Mississippi River Distilling Co. in LeClaire, IA, has been counting on a summer rebound. Crowds have come rushing back. But the distillery and events space can't find enough workers to serve its customers.

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www.wsj.com
NC Employment Projections Released
NC Employment Projections Released

Every year, the North Carolina Department of Commerce studies national, statewide, and local economic trends to produce long-term and short-term employment projections for state and sub-state areas.

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www.nccommerce.com
Industry Employment Projections | LEAD Analytics



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analytics.nccommerce.com
NC Star Jobs Rankings Released

Star Jobs is a new and simplified way to help you identify promising occupations. Star ratings are assigned based on wages, projected growth rate, and projected job openings, and each occupation has a rating of between 1 and 5 stars.

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tools.nccareers.org
Wage Gains at Factories Fall Behind Growth in Fast-Food
Wage Gains at Factories Fall Behind Growth in Fast-Food

Since start of 2020 jobs...including restaurants & retail have posted highest-ever hourly wages relative to wages in mfg...The $23.41 that hourly factory workers made on avg in April is 27% > avg pay for retail...down from 40% premium 10y ago.

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www.wsj.com
Tight Labor Market Returns the Upper Hand to American Workers
Tight Labor Mrkt Returns the Upper Hand to American Workers

Low-wage workers found something unexpected in the economy's recovery from the pandemic: leverage. Ballooning job openings in fields requiring minimal education-including in restaurants, transportation, warehousing and manufacturing-combined with ...

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www.wsj.com
Why Did Labor Force Participation Rate Decline When Economy Was Good?
Why Labor Force Participation % Down When Economy Was Good?

The solution to this labor market puzzle: rise in the percentage of the population ages 65 and over. So, how could it drop when the economy was booming and labor force participation rates among the working-age population grew in every age category?

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www.census.gov
$17 per hour and Beyond Job Fair attracts 300+ job seekers
Employer Comments:

"It was one of the best job fairs we’ve attended in over 3 years. Every part of the process was thought out, thorough and streamlined."

"The job fair more than met our expectations. The turnout, location, staff services, and registration process were all flawless."

"The turnout was great. We talked to at least 100 candidates and the location was great. The staff were helpful and provided water and snacks throughout."

"Well organized and a surprisingly good turnout. Staff we helpful as always. Missed initial registration, but they were able to get me in the event!"

"Pretty good turn out. Not a lot of people with Manufacturing experience. We spoke to 50 people or had 50 people visit our booth. So glad we were lucky to be inside."

"There was a higher turn-out than expected. Prime location."
Job fair emphasizes openings that pay a living wage

A job fair Tuesday helped connect people to local jobs that pay living wages. Job fair emphasizes openings that pay a living wage. The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board Job Fair featured employers with at least one job paying $17 per hour..

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wlos.com
$17 per Hour And Beyond Job Fair

This job fair will feature over 70 local employers who are offering jobs paying $17 per hour and more. Press Release * Employers scheduled to attend with booth assignments * Inside table layout * Outside table layout * Jobs Available

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www.mountainareaworks.org
Land of Sky selected as one of 15 local collaboratives by myFutureNC and ncIMPACT
ncIMPACT Initiative & myFutureNC announce 15 collaboratives

The ncIMPACT Initiative at UNC Sch of Govt. and myFutureNC, announced Thursday 15 community collaboratives that will be part of their 2y pilot program to increase attainment of high-quality degrees or postsecondary credentials among local residents.

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www.ednc.org
Where Are the Job Seekers?
Where Are the Job Seekers? - Indeed Hiring Lab

Where are the job seekers? You can't open a newspaper without seeing a story about employers having trouble finding workers & difficulty hiring. Some states decided gov benefits are holding workers back and are opting out of enhanced fed UI benefits.

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www.hiringlab.org
NCWorks Career Center Asheville Job Seeker Workshops for June and July
The Demographic Drought - How the Approaching Sansdemic Will Transform the Labor Market for the Rest of Our Lives
Demographic Drought - Emsi

"In a human capital economy, people are the key ingredient-a truth that will become only more apparent during the coming sansdemic. Every student, every employee, every potential employee is valuable."

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economicmodeling.com
myFutureNC/Land of Sky Education & Workforce Collaborative Human Talent Survey
The myFutureNC/Land of Sky Educational Attainment and Workforce Collaborative, with the assistance of the Research and Planning Office at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, has created a survey based on the exceptional work previously conducted by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, RTI, NC Chamber and many other regional partners to identify human talent needs of local employers. If you are not the individual involved with identifying hiring needs and/or the hiring decisions, please forward it to the appropriate individual(s).

The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete, but it will provide the Collaborative with valuable feedback in our efforts to enhance the alignment of educational resources to employers’ human talent needs. This will assist us in making sure that potential employees are receiving training that aligns employment skills with the competencies needed not only for the current workforce, but for the future workforce. Please help us to get this survey into the hands of employers, economic developers, workforce development boards, advisory boards, and others that are assisting with hiring needs.
myFutureNC/Land of Sky Human Talent Survey

Please click on the following link to respond to the survey.

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abtech.az1.qualtrics.com
Land of Sky works to create a land of more opportunity

The Land of Sky Regional Council (LOSRC) first began in 1966. Over the years, it has been responsible for programs and partnerships that work to positively impact the people of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties.

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www.ednc.org
myFutureNC

Together, we can set our state on a path to a more prosperous future. The way forward.

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www.myfuturenc.org
Labor shortage isn't easy to explain
Labor shortage isn't easy to explain

The help wanted signs around Haywood are so ubiquitous they almost go unnoticed, and jobs are so plentiful employers are thinking outside the box to attract employees. That includes holding job fairs, raising wages and offering signing bonuses.

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www.themountaineer.com
Employers: Four Strategies for Hiring in a Tight Labor Market
4 Strategies for Hiring in a Tight Labor Market - Indeed

With so many opportunities for job seekers, recruiting and hiring pose new challenges for employers. It seems that almost every week there's another article in the news about how tight the labor market is.

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www.hiringlab.org
As NC jobless rate keeps falling, people seeking work drops
As NC jobless rate keeps falling, people seeking work drops

And the number of people employed actually decreased by 4,550 while the seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell from 5% in April to 4.8%. The number of employed had actually grown by 4,500 between March and April.

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www.wxii12.com
Economist: NC unemployment figures are misleading

RALEIGH - North Carolina's latest unemployment figures for May are impressive - the jobless rate is under 5%. But economist Dr. Mike Walden says a deeper look at the labor market reveals that the jobs market is not that positive.

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www.wraltechwire.com
1,310 people filed for unemployment benefits in our region during May
Buncombe: 871

Henderson: 319

Madison: 59

Transylvania: 61

TOTAL: 1,310

Unemployment Claims by Sector in our Region

Leisure & Hospitality 730 (27.5%)
Trade Transportation & Utilities 200 (15.3%)
Unclassified/Unknown 165 (12.6%)
Educational & Health Services 168 (12.8%)
Manufacturing 183 (14.0%)
Other Services 47 (3.6%)
Professional & Business Services 184 (14.0%)
Construction 42 (3.2%)
Financial Activities 36 (2.7%)
Information not disclosed
Public Administration 16 (1.2%)
Natural Resources & Mining 6 (0.2%)
Workbook: Regional UI Dashboard

May 2021

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bi.nc.gov
Mountain Area Careers
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.

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www.mountainareacareers.org