The LEAD Feed
Where the Jobs Are: Supply and Demand for Labor in North Carolina’s Regions
Which of North Carolina’s regions offer the best prospects for jobseekers? This article assesses the supply and demand for labor within each of North Carolina’s eight “Prosperity Zone” regions.
Veteran's Day 2016
North Carolina continues to be an important state for the military and for veterans. This entry shares some of the most recent North Carolina statistics on veterans from the American Community Survey.
The Cotton Mil Campaign: North Carolina's first Crowdfunding Effort
We may think of crowdfunding as a recent phenomenon, but North Carolinians have been using community-financing to create businesses since the late-1800s. This post highlights a video about what became known as the Cotton Mill Campaign.
Why Are Fewer North Carolinians Participating in the Labor Force?
North Carolina’s labor force participation rate has declined considerably over the past 16 years. This article shows how the changing demographics of our population have contributed to this trend.
October: National Disability Employment Awareness Month
With October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month, LEAD decided to take a look at the state of disability employment in North Carolina.
What Impact Do Skills Have on Wages in NC?
Is it better to focus efforts on acquiring academic credentials or skills if you’re working toward building a good-paying career? The answer, not surprisingly, is both. However, when we control for skills, the wage returns for occupations requiring higher education and experience are reduced by anywhere from a third to two-thirds. This demonstrates that skills are indeed a significant determinant of occupational wages in North Carolina; quantifies the linkage between education and skills; and highlights the importance of skill development at all education levels.
North Carolina’s Statewide Employment Projections Released, 2014-2024*
North Carolina is projected to add over 550,000 jobs by 2024. The following summary analyzes information on employment growth and projections at the state level for the 2014-2024 period and provides key findings by major industry and occupational groups.
What Occupations have the Biggest Wage Gaps?
It is common to see averages and medians used to analyze wages and compare them between occupations, but those measures don’t tell the whole story in understanding what employees are paid. What about the range of wages among employees who share an occupation? Looking at OES data, we see that workers in some occupational groups are paid within a wide range of wages, while employees in other occupations tend to make relatively similar wages.
The Mismatch Mystery: Searching for the “Skills Gap” in North Carolina
Something is clearly wrong with our labor market when unemployed jobseekers are unable to find work amidst a flood of job vacancies. Is this a sign of mismatch in the marketplace? Or might there be other forces at work? This article introduces several new metrics to help you understand the state of mismatch in North Carolina and the areas of greatest need in our labor market.
The Sagging Fortunes of Young Firms in North Carolina
Young firms play an important role in the dynamism of North Carolina’s economy. However, their contribution to overall job creation has fallen substantially in recent years. As part of LEAD’s ongoing investigation into declining economic dynamism, this article identifies some of the industry sectors hit hardest by this trend and discusses the implications for our broader economy.