INDUSTRY SECTORS

INDUSTRY MIX

Since 2005, the State of North Carolina and the United States have experienced similar trends in job growth. However, the decline in jobs in North Carolina during the recession was slightly stronger. The state surpassed its 2005 employment in 2011 and has outpaced national growth in employment each year since 2013. While the region has experienced steady employment growth since 2011, it has consistently remained below the state and national pace.  Although surpassing its 2005 level of employment in 2012, the region’s growth remains about 1% below the state pace and about 0.5% behind the national pace. The chart below shows estimates reported on workers employed in the county regardless of their county of residence.

Between 2005 and 2016, the Northeastern Region of North Carolina experienced a net decline in employment of 1,098 (-2.3%).  Six out of ten of the major industry sectors in the Northeastern Region experienced job declines. Job losses were led by Construction (-1,390), Manufacturing (-674), Retail Trade (-513), and Healthcare and Social Assistance (-312). Regional net job growth was led by Educational Services (788), Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (630), and Accommodation and Food Services (607).