Building A Future-Ready Workforce to Withstand the Looming Labor Shortage | |
The Rising Storm, a Lightcast Demographic Drought ... | When worker shortages, and a wage-price spiral rocked the labor market in 2021-22 they didn't represent a one-time disruption: they were the first gusts of a coming storm. Baby Boomers are retiring, and fewer younger workers are coming to take their place. What can be done?? The Rising Storm provides the answers. | | | |
Madison County Fall Career Fair | |
Remembering Our Friend and Colleague Marc Czarnecki | |
Marc Czarnecki Celebration of Life - RSVPify | "We thank you all for the contributions and amazing love that has been shown to our family during this difficult time. We are holding a celebration of life for Marc Czarnecki on October 13th 1pm-3pm at Turgua Brewery- more information below. All people and (leashed) furry friends welcome! Attire is casual. Please bring outdoor chairs and food to share! Drinks and plates provided. Rain or shine. Feel free to stay for as long or as little time as you want. Please RSVP with the button below for us to get a head count. Thank you!" From the family of Marc Czarnecki. | | | |
How Childcare Impacts WNC's Workforce | |
You are invited to join the WNC Childcare Forum on Wednesday, September 25 from 1:15 pm - 4:00 pm at the Land of Sky Regional Council office or remote via zoom. Learn why childcare is important for our region's economy and employers. | |
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Hosted by Inclusive Hiring Partners and Operation Gateway, this event will take place on Wednesday, September 25th, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Mission/AB-Tech Conference Center. You can attend either the morning session (9 AM - 1 PM) or the afternoon session (2PM - 6 PM) based on your needs, with a full day option also available. Free parking is provided!
As an employer or community partner, your registration is free and includes a complimentary lunch for up to two participants. Registration is open until September 20th, 2024, or until we reach our limit of 35 employers and community partners. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with job seekers and make a meaningful impact—reserve your spot today!
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Mountain Area Workforce Development Board will be hosting a Youth Job Fair in late October 2024, and we would like you to join us. Please take this brief survey to help us plan for this job fair and to determine employer interest.
This event aims to connect local employers like you with youth ages 14 to 24, including both in-school and out-of-school individuals seeking part-time, full-time, or seasonal employment. We are particularly interested in attracting employers with positions that accommodate high-school-aged students, offering flexible hours such as after school, nights, and weekends.
We appreciate your time and input, and we hope you will consider joining us for this exciting opportunity to engage with the next generation of our workforce. If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to reach out to us.
Thank you for your partnership and continued support in building a stronger community!
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NCWorks Career Center and Small Business Tours - you are invited! | |
NCWorks Tour in Henderson County featured a visit to Mind Your Business | |
NCWorks Tour in Henderson County featured a visit to Stuller Power Systems | |
NCWorks Tour in Madison County featured a visit to Outrider USA | |
NCWorks Tour in Madison County featured a visit to Spark Robotic | |
NCWorks Tour in Henderson County featured a visit to the NCWorks Career Center located on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College | |
September 2024 NC Economy Watch: The Pros and Cons of a Hot Housing Market | In this edition of NC Economy Watch, we describe some of the unusual developments we've seen in the housing market over the past several years. Our economy has absorbed a rapid increase in interest rates without experiencing a housing crash, but while a resilient housing market has helped us avert another recession, high interest rates and rising home values have also priced out many potential homebuyers. | | | |
Five Things to Know About Industry 4.0's Impact on NC Manufacturing Workers | North Carolina is preparing for the next industrial revolution driven by advanced "Industry 4.0" technologies like robotics, automation, and data analytics. A new report from the NC Department of Commerce and NC State's Manufacturing Extension Partnership, "Best Practices for Growing Manufacturing in North Carolina," outlines some major implications this shift will have for the state's manufacturing workforce. | | | |
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Unemployment rate in Mountain Area region was 3.4% as of July 2024. As of July 2024, there are 2,534 less people working compared to July 2023.
Unemployed Individuals by month (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties):
July 2024 8,300
June 2024 8,579
May 2024 7,542
April 2024 6,865
March 2024 7,808
February 2024 7,924
January 2024 7,493
December 2023 6,459
November 2023 7,120
October 2023 7,335
September 2023 6,987
August 2023 7,702
July 2023 7,470
June 2023 7,551
May 2023 6,752
April 2023 6,466
March 2023 6,916
February 2023 6,696
January 2023 6,808
Note there are some statistical disparities between the data reported for the Asheville metro and the Mountain Area Workforce region as the metro includes Haywood County but does not include Transylvania County. The Mountain Area Workforce region includes Transylvania County but not Haywood County.
Total Labor Force 226,583
Total Employed Labor Force 218,966
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Mountain Area WDB Regional Labor Market Overview | |
Mountain Area WDB Overview | LEAD Analytics | |
Unemployment Rates Increase in 83 of North Carolina’s Counties in July 2024
Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 83 of North Carolina’s counties in July 2024, decreased in three, and remained unchanged in 14. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.8 percent while Dare County had the lowest at 3.2 percent. Twelve of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases and three remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 6.0 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 3.3 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.3 percent.
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Mountain Area WDB Labor Force | |
Mountain Area WDB Employed Individuals | |
Mountain Area WDB Unemployment Rate | |
Mountain Area WDB Unemployed Individuals | |
Asheville MSA Industry Jobs Compared to One Year Ago | |
Mountain Area WDB Job Openings | |
Mountain Area WDB Taxable Retail Sales | |
Asheville metro unemployment rate 3.4%, AVL metro continues to have the the lowest unemployment rate of any NC metro | |
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Asheville metro (as of July 2024) continues to have the lowest unemployment of any NC metro at 3.4%. Dare County had the lowest unemployment of any NC County at 3.2%.
Buncombe 3.3%
Haywood 3.5%
Henderson 3.5%
Madison 3.7%
Transylvania 3.8%
Monthly job growth by metro:
- Wilmington 0.7%
- Greenville 0.6%
- Winston Salem 0.5%
- Asheville 0.4%
- Fayetteville 0.3%
- Hickory 0.3%
- Goldsboro 0.2%
- Burlington 0.1%
- Greensboro-High Point 0%
- New Bern 0%
- Rocky Mount 0%
- Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia -0.2%
- Durham/Chapel Hill -0.2%
- Jacksonville -0.2%
- Raleigh -0.2%
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Asheville Metro All Employees (Total Individuals Working) 241,295 in June 2024 | |
Asheville Metro Labor Force 241,443 (Total Individuals Working or Seeking Employment) in July 2024 | |
North Carolina Employer-Support Education Landscape Survey | |
Each year across the US, employers spend hundreds of billions supporting postsecondary education for employees through tuition assistance, apprenticeship, and internal education and training programs. Employers are a vital part of our talent ecosystem. Yet, there is much we don’t know about which employers do this, to which extent, what programs do, and how organizations like myFutureNC can work to best support employers’ needs.
To learn more, we ask employers to complete this survey, designed to gather key information about their investments and approaches in supporting education for employees. The ideal survey respondent is someone in the company who has knowledge about various education programs, their goals, and design—this may be someone in human resources, learning and development, or workforce planning at large organizations, or executive leadership at smaller firms.
myFutureNC has engaged UpSkill America, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, to support this research. Your data and information will be protected—nothing will be shared without your permission. There will be opportunities for companies with strong upskilling programs to be featured in written reports and case studies for statewide and national audiences, as well. All survey respondents will receive a copy of the final survey analysis.
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Carolina Across 100 is a pan-university effort to partner with communities in each of North Carolina's 100 counties. This five-year initiative will build and support cross-sector collaborations to address current challenges. | | | | | | |
