Mountain Area Works Highlights

 
  • Asheville metro 3.2% unemployment rate for August 2022
  • WNC Career Expo - employer registration now open!
  • Who is Going to do the Work?
  • Employers look to sell new generation on manufacturing jobs
  • Manufacturing MFG Day 2022
  • Spark Robotic's move into former Honeywell building in Mars Hill celebrated
  • Scottish manufacturer creating up to 200 jobs at new Fletcher facility
  • Land of Sky Regional Council receives $1.44 million to support job training in high demand careers in partnership with AB Tech and Blue Ridge Community College
  • What happened to NC's Restaurant Workers After the COVID-19 Recession?
  • Chatter with Business NC featuring Chris Chung, CEO, Economic Development Partnership of NC (EDPNC)
  • Seniors are stuck home alone as health aides flee for higher-paying jobs
  • Why Are Companies Still Hiring When GDP Is Shrinking?
  • After four months of historic low unemployment, North Carolina's jobless rate rises slightly
  • State of Our Workforce WNC survey results from 795 employers released
  • NCWorks Career Center Asheville workshops September and October 2022
  • 289 individuals filed an unemployment claim in our region for June 2022
  • NCWorks: Work on What's Next
  • Mountain Area Careers
Labor Market Update
Unemployment rate in Mountain Area region 3.2% as of August 2022. As of August 2022, 6,970 more people working compared to August 2021. 3,347 less people working compared to July 2022.

Unemployed Individuals by month:

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 219,473
Total Employed Labor Force 212,535
Mountain Area WDB Overview | LEAD Analytics

August 2022

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analytics.nccommerce.com
Mountain Area WDB unemployment rate
Mountain Area WDB Labor Force
Mountain Area WDB Employed Individuals
Mountain Area WDB Unemployed Individuals
Asheville MSA Jobs
Asheville MSA Industry Jobs Compared To One Year Ago
Mountain Area WDB Job Openings
Mountain Area WDB Taxable Retail Sales
Asheville metro unemployment rate at 3.2%, lowest of any NC metro
Asheville metro now (as of August 2022) the lowest unemployment of any NC metro at 3.2%. This rate is 0.9% points lower than the metro unemployment rate of 4.1% of one year ago.
 
Buncombe 3.1%
Haywood 3.2%
Henderson 3.3%
Madison 3.5%
Transylvania 3.4%

Year over Year job growth by metro:
 
  1. Greensboro/High Point 0.7%
  2. Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia 0.4%
  3. Raleigh 0.4%
  4. Fayetteville 0.3%
  5. Hickory/Lenoir/Morganton 0.3%
  6. Wilmington 0.1%
  7. Goldsboro 0.0%
  8. Greenville 0.0%
  9. Jacksonville 0.0%
  10. Burlington -0.2%
  11. Asheville -0.2%
  12. Durham/Chapel Hill -0.3%
  13. New Bern -0.4%
  14. Winston-Salem -0.4%
  15. Rocky Mount -0.5%
NC Today | LEAD Analytics

August 2022

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analytics.nccommerce.com
WNC Career Expo - employers register now!
Great companies start with great people, and you’ll find both at the WNC Career Expo.

Plan to join us Tuesday, October 11 from 11 AM – 4 PM at the Davis Event Center at the WNC Agricultural Center, located at 761 Boylston Highway in Fletcher.

Presented by the Mountain Area Workforce Board and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Western North Carolina businesses and organizations are ready to promote career opportunities for job seekers in advanced manufacturing, technology, health care, tourism, professional services, and other high-growth industries. All job seekers are encouraged to attend this one-stop opportunity to meet directly with representatives from companies hiring now.
WNC Career Expo

Great companies start with great people, and you'll find both at the WNC Career Expo. Plan to join us Tuesday, October 11 from 11 AM - 4 PM at the Davis Event Center at the WNC Agricultural Center, located at 761 Boylston Highway in Fletcher.

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www.ashevillechamber.org
Who is Going to do the Work?
Who is going to do the work?

America's decades-long prioritization of the 4-year degree has pushed a new generation away from the skilled trades. What can industries that need skilled-trade workers do about it?

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lightcast.io
Employers look to sell new generation on manufacturing jobs
Employers look to sell new generation on manufacturing jobs

Yet WNC manufacturing is far from dead. With about 22,000 total employees, manufacturing still ranks as the fifth-largest industry in the region encompassing Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Madison and Transylvania counties.

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mountainx.com
Manufacturing MFG Day 2022
Yolanda Strong at Gaia Herbs in Brevard
Tyler Coan at UPM Raflatac in Mills River
Susan Chandler at Advanced Superabrasives Inc. (ASI) in Mars Hill
Brian Pollet at GE Aviation in Asheville
Spark Robotic's move into former Honeywell building in Mars Hill celebrated
Spark Robotic's move into former Honeywell bldg celebrated

After Honeywell vacated its Micro Switch building in Mars Hill in 2012, the 110,000-square-foot building has largely been underutilized. That all changed when Spark Robotic owner Frank Johnson acquired the building last fall.

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www.citizen-times.com
Scottish manufacturer creating up to 200 jobs at new Fletcher facility
Scottish biz creating up to 200 jobs @ new Fletcher facility

Global manufacturer Emtelle is one of the newest companies to announce an expansion in Fletcher. Emtelle will co-locate with sister corporation, Mainetti, at 300,000 square-foot facility in Fletcher, according to a news release on Emtelle’s website.

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www.blueridgenow.com
Land of Sky Regional Council receives $1.44 million to support job training in high demand careers in partnership with AB Tech and Blue Ridge Community College
DOL awards $34.4M in grants improve access to jobs, training

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor announced today - in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority - awards totaling $34,375,000, to provide education, training and supportive services.

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www.dol.gov
Chatter with Business NC featuring Chris Chung, CEO, Economic Development Partnership of NC (EDPNC)
Business North Carolina's Weekly Podcast - Chatter BNC

Christopher Chung, CEO, Economic Development Partnership of NC (EDPNC) shares an update about current economic development trends in our state, nation and beyond.

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businessnc.com
What happened to NC's Restaurant Workers After the COVID-19 Recession?
What Happened to North Carolina's Restaurant Workers?.

We all know how difficult it is to find restaurant workers these days. In this article, we use data from the North Carolina Common Follow-up System (CFS) to determine what happened to all those people who were working in North Carolina's bars . . .

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www.commerce.nc.gov
Seniors are stuck home alone as health aides flee for higher-paying jobs
Seniors stuck @ home alone, aides flee 4 higher-paying jobs

While more elderly seek home care to age in place, low-wage workers are finding easier jobs with equal or better pay in retail and restaurants

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www.washingtonpost.com
Why Are Companies Still Hiring When GDP Is Shrinking?
Why Are Companies Still Hiring When GDP Is Shrinking?

A persistent economic puzzle is why the labor market is still strong amid slowing growth and high inflation. Many employers say they continue to struggle with staffing shortages and are reluctant to cut head count.

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www.wsj.com
After four months of historic low unemployment, North Carolina's jobless rate rises slightly
North Carolina's jobless rate rises slightly

North Carolina's historically low unemployment rate rose slightly in August.

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wlos.com
State of Our Workforce WNC survey results from 795 employers released
  • 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.
  • 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. 
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.

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www.ashevillechamber.org
State of Our Workforce WNC Interactive Dashboard

The survey ran from March 15, 2022 - May 31, 2022.

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public.tableau.com
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.

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wlos.com
NCWorks Career Center Asheville workshops September and October 2022
289 people filed for unemployment benefits in our region June 2022
Buncombe: 214

Henderson: 59

Madison: 8

Transylvania: 8

TOTAL: 289

Unemployment Claims by Sector in our Region

Leisure & Hospitality 43 (14.9%)
Trade Transportation & Utilities 50 (17.3%)
Unclassified/Unknown 27 (9.3%)
Educational & Health Services 58 (20.1%)
Manufacturing 26 (9.0%)
Other Services 9 (3.1%)
Professional & Business Services 45 (15.6%)
Construction 12 (4.2%)
Financial Activities 10 (3.5%)
Information (Not disclosed)
Public Administration (Not disclosed)
Natural Resources & Mining 0 (0.0%)
Workbook: Regional UI Dashboard

June 2022

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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