Former offenders face barriers to re-entering the labor market after release from prison. This article describes the workforce programs available to offenders during and after incarceration in North Carolina, and reports the employment outcomes of those who participate in these programs, showing that these programs can be important pathways to re-entry.
The Lead Feed
While U.S. wage growth remains slow, you may have read that it’s picked up steam in recent months. We’re interested in the extent to which that’s true in North Carolina and where it might be happening in our state’s economy.
LEAD’s career rating system has been updated for the new 2026 projections. This entry will describe the changes and where you can find more career information.
In November, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in 56 of North Carolina's 100 counties.
North Carolina's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged from October’s revised rate of 3.6 percent.
We’ve recently shown that employment is growing in High Wage Industries, but are their wages growing more than middle- or low-wage industries?
The Durham-Chapel Hill MSA leads NC’s metro areas in average wage. However, over the past decade, that gap has narrowed. While job growth has been solid, the loss of jobs in particular high-paying industries has contributed to a meager increase in the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA’s average wage.
North Carolina’s growing economy is making it easier for jobseekers to find employment in our state. This article describes how our red-hot labor market has bolstered the outcomes of some of our state’s workforce programs and affected enrollment trends in our state’s public universities and community colleges.
In October, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in all of North Carolina's 100 counties.
Recently, the Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) of NC Commerce released the latest Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data. This data is from 2018 Quarter 2, and represents one of the best sources of economic data for North Carolina and its smaller regions, including Workforce Development Boards (WDBs).
North Carolina's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.6 percent from September’s revised rate of 3.8 percent.
High wage industries appear to be growing as of late, but what do the past and current trends show?
The share of former offenders finding work in North Carolina within a year after release from state prison declined from 62% in 1998 to 39% in 2014. This article explores some of the factors that may be responsible for this trend, including changes in the labor market that have made it harder to find a job—particularly for blue-collar workers, and especially for former offenders.
North Carolina is projected to add over 389,000 new jobs by 2026. The following summary analyzes information on employment growth and projections at the state level and provides key findings by major industry and occupational groups.
This post will describe recent changes to North Carolina Long Term Employment projections.