labor force
Monday numbers: the state of working women in North Carolina
For the past two years, unemployment in North Carolina has done more than return to pre-pandemic levels; it’s dropped to the lowest level in more than 20 years. A closer look, however, reveals a more complicated picture — for the state’s women and, especially for women of color. When Oxfam America recently released its ranking […]
No “Carolina Comeback” here: New numbers show dozens of NC counties falling further behind
There’s still more news this week of the flawed and wildly uneven nature of the supposed “Carolina Comeback.” The July employment numbers are in and they continue to signal what experts are describing as a “soft” and unsatisfactory situation in numerous North Carolina counties. This is from economist, Dr. Patrick McHugh of the N.C. Budget […]
We’re Not There Yet
This is the season of absolutes, a time for reflecting and rendering judgment. Has it been a year to remember or a year to forget? Are we on the right path, or hopelessly lost? The truth is usually somewhere in the middle, but that doesn’t make provocative copy, and so it is often ignored. While […]
Falling labor force continues to drive drop in unemployment rate
North Carolina’s falling labor force continues to drive reductions in the state’s unemployment rate, according to the February jobs report released by Division of Employment Security this morning. Over the last year, just 4 in 10 formerly unemployed workers actually found jobs, while the rest dropped out of the labor force. Despite falling to 6.4 […]
Why April’s unemployment report is worse than it looks
Yesterday’s announcement that North Carolina’s unemployment rate had dropped to 8.9 percent last month was met with considerable acclamation in a number of media reports today. Unfortunately, much of this positive commentary was misplaced—despite demonstrating some superficial improvement, the new jobs report is far worse than it first looks. In fact, the dip in the […]