The Lead Feed

The 5 Most Important Things We Learned from NC Businesses

In uncertain economic times, business leaders, policymakers and the general public want to know what's currently happening as well as the future course things might take. Following the sudden and unprecedented shock caused by the pandemic in the Spring of 2020, a variety of "real time" indicators were created to measure rapidly changing economic conditions.

NC Today and What It Means: Job Openings

The NC Today dashboard serves as a monthly update on statewide labor market and economic conditions. But what do the numbers mean? Using the April 2022 update, this blog post continues the prior series and provides context to job openings data.

May Unemployment Rates Increase in Most NC Counties

In May, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in 89 of North Carolina's 100 counties.

NC Today and What It Means: Manufacturing Hours Worked

The NC Today dashboard serves as a monthly update on statewide labor market and economic conditions. But what do the numbers mean? Using the April 2022 update, this blog post continues the prior series and provides context to manufacturing hours worked.

NC’s May Unemployment Rate Unchanged

North Carolina's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged from April's revised rate of 3.4 percent.

NC Today and What It Means: Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims

The NC Today dashboard serves as a monthly update on statewide labor market and economic conditions. But what do the numbers mean? Using the March 2022 update, this first blog post in a series of four provides context to statewide total private average weekly earnings.

NC Today and What It Means: Taxable Retail Sales

The NC Today dashboard serves as a monthly update on statewide labor market and economic conditions. But what do the numbers mean? Using the March 2022 update, this third blog post in a series of four provides context to statewide taxable retail sales.

April Unemployment Rates Decrease in Most NC Counties

In April, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 83 of North Carolina's 100 counties.

Which Industry Workers Change Jobs the Most and Where do they go? A Review of J2J Explorer Data to Understand Job Mobility in NC Industries

During Q1 2021, NC saw more than 219,000 workers start new jobs. LEAD staff reviewed Census data to understand the NC industries that are most impacted by this job switching.

NC Today and What It Means: Residential Building Permits

The NC Today dashboard serves as a monthly update on statewide labor market and economic conditions. But what do the numbers mean? Using the March 2022 update, this second blog post in a series of four provides context to statewide residential building permits.

NC’s April Unemployment Rate Decreases

North Carolina's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from March's revised rate of 3.5 percent.

NC Today and What It Means: Total Private Average Weekly Earnings

The NC Today dashboard serves as a monthly update on statewide labor market and economic conditions. But what do the numbers mean? Using the March 2022 update, this first blog post in a series of four provides context to statewide total private average weekly earnings.

March Unemployment Rates Decrease in Most NC Counties

In March, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 85 of North Carolina's 100 counties.

Has the NC economy recovered from COVID-19? A look using QCEW data.

The COVID-19 pandemic began in earnest around March 2020, with mass vaccinations beginning in the first quarter of 2021. How has the North Carolina economy changed across the worst of the crisis and its aftermath?

NC’s March Unemployment Rate Decreases

North Carolina's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from February's revised rate of 3.7 percent.