Blog Entry List

Using data from the Common Follow-up System (CFS), this article explores trends in College Transfer-Associate in Arts (AA) and College Transfer-Science (AS) degree completion from North Carolina community colleges between 2003 and 2023.

This blog concludes our three-part series on North Carolina's employment outlook. In Part 1, we explored statewide job trends, while Part 2 concentrated on industry outlooks across substate regions. This final article examines how occupational trends play out across regions, where growth is concentrated, and how job opportunities differ across the state.

This blog is part of a three-part series on North Carolina’s employment outlook. In Part 1, we explored statewide job trends. This second installment looks at how industry growth differs across North Carolina — and where economic activity is expected to expand over the next decade. The next and final part will examine how job opportunities vary across regions.

The Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) has recently released North Carolina's long-term employment projections through 2034. This blog is the first in a three-part series highlighting key statewide trends and findings.

As the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, concerns are growing over its potential impact on the global economy. To better understand what these disruptions could mean for North Carolina, this article examines the state’s trade relationships with several countries in the region and the key commodities involved.

In this edition of NC Economy Watch, we examine the employment data revisions just released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Like last year, this year’s revisions point to a widespread labor market slowdown, with most of North Carolina’s industry sectors and metro areas seeing downward revisions. In addition, these revisions show the Asheville area experiencing a persistent shortfall in employment following the impact of Hurricane Helene, demonstrating the challenges faced by Western North Carolina in achieving a complete economic recovery.

This article uses data from the Common Follow-up System (CFS) to explore trends in health-related degree completion across North Carolina’s public higher education systems. Specifically, it focuses on bachelor’s degree graduates in Health Professions and Related Programs and Registered Nursing majors at UNC System institutions and associate’s degree in Health Sciences and Nursing majors at North Carolina community colleges.

Last month, LEAD introduced the County Economic Vitality Index — a composite measure of the economy for all 100 North Carolina counties. Scores are benchmarked annually against the U.S. average across unemployment, wages, median household income, and educational attainment. We also shared 10 key findings from the data revealing patterns in NC's economic geography. Today, we're making it easier to explore those patterns yourself through the County EVI interactive dashboard.

The Common Follow-up System (CFS) provides detailed data on postsecondary degree completion in North Carolina. Using this data, we can explore trends in different majors, with this article focusing specifically on education majors at UNC System schools.

In 2023 and 2024, an increase in immigration contributed to population, labor force, and employment growth nationwide and in North Carolina, but new data show that immigration slowed in 2025. This article examines how these changes have shaped the state’s labor market in recent years and what they may mean for North Carolina in the years ahead.

Whether you're considering a career change, starting a new business, or simply curious about North Carolina's regulatory landscape, understanding the state's licensing requirements is essential.

To better understand the local economic performance in North Carolina, and how that performance has changed over time, LEAD developed an index to measure the economic outcomes across the 100 counties.

How is my county doing economically? And are we getting better? These are two common questions we receive about North Carolina’s economy. The answers are harder to nail down than they should be. Single indicators like unemployment or income tell only part of the story. National datasets often lack county-level detail. Without consistent benchmarks, it's difficult to know whether local conditions reflect broader trends or something unique to the community.

In celebration of CTE Month, we’re exploring how North Carolina’s CTE concentrators (students who earned two or more technical credits in a Career Cluster Pathway) are doing in the workforce a decade after high school—and how those outcomes differ by career cluster. Using NC TOWER data from the Common Follow-up System, we tracked 32,000 graduates from the Class of 2014 and examined their employment rates and wage earnings in 2024.

When we think about economic booms, we picture prosperity: jobs everywhere, wages climbing, and opportunity knocking. But here’s the twist - those same booms might quietly discourage education. Why? Because when the job market is sizzling, the opportunity cost of staying in school skyrockets. Why sit in a classroom when you can earn a paycheck right now?