Job growth continues, but it’s a tough market for newbies
Employers do better keeping workers on payrolls than absorbing new entrants
A solid, if underwhelming, January jobs report is likely to reinforce the Federal Reserve’s “wait-and-see” strategy on interest rate cuts through its next few meetings. However, a ...
Consumers powered the economy last year. How long can they keep it up?
Future purchases likely depend on income growth
American consumers have bolstered the economy and left it on solid footing heading into 2025, a few key data releases recently confirmed.
Charlotte job market starts 2025 on high note
Office jobs recover in North Carolina's largest city, but non-cyclical sectors still dominate growth
Charlotte, North Carolina's job market entered 2025 on strong footing following a hiring surge in the fourth quarter, with office-using jobs showing the strongest recovery.
Consumers turn testy as inflation expectations heat up
Survey finds confidence waning
Despite maintaining healthy spending habits last year, consumers are decidedly gloomy at the start of the new year, according to the latest survey by The Conference Board.
Apartment construction in Charlotte sets another record, but demand is catching up
All-time leasing high in North Carolina's largest city slows rent growth slide
Apartment completions hit a record high in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2024. But though the supply wave has lifted vacancies and weighed on rent growth, demand is beginning to ca...
Retailers pull in solid sales despite pockets of softness
Consumer spending surges in December
After the recent blockbuster release of job growth in December, it is no surprise to see American consumers ending 2024 with a solid holiday shopping season.
A slowing labor market ends the year with a bang
Employers go on biggest hiring binge since March
The American job market closed out 2024 on an up note, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly report for December. That staved off fears of a teetering labor market, ...
Factory activity sparks up. Factory jobs? Not so much.
Surge in new orders stirs optimism
Momentum seems to be building in the American manufacturing sector after more than two years of weakness.
North Carolina cities rank among fastest-growing economies in the country
Raleigh rises one spot among largest economies in the United States
Population growth, business expansions — particularly in the finance sector — and a ramp-up in construction spending made Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, two of the fastest-...
Weakness appears in the labor market
Unemployment ticks up to 4.2%
November's headline jobs numbers marked the 47th consecutive month of positive job growth and showed a substantial recovery from the strike- and storm-impacted October report.
Rare land site entitled for up to 2,000 residences hits Charlotte market
Space for single-family development is scarce in urban areas
One of the largest remaining residential greenfield sites in Charlotte, North Carolina, is now being listed for sale, an increasingly rare occurrence in a market that has shifted t...
Consumers power forward into the holiday season
Incomes grow and a key measure of inflation accelerates
New data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis before the Thanksgiving holiday showed that higher-than-expected income growth and lower energy prices bolstered consumer spend...
The struggle to contain inflation continues
But shoppers are not deterred
Overall inflation as measured by the consumer price index, or CPI, remains sticky, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
Industrial property values surpass office, retail in Charlotte
Rent growth, development push industrial values up 56% in five years
As population growth and a shift to online shopping have increased the demand for logistics space, Charlotte’s inventory of warehouses and distribution centers rapidly expanded. As...
Elections have consequences
Stock markets jump, but interest rates offer little relief
Stock market indices reacted enthusiastically to President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
Slowing jobs market sends mixed signals
Hurricanes, labor strife muddy the picture
No one thought interpreting the October jobs report would be simple after two hurricanes struck the southeast and as Boeing machinists continued their strike. But then, no one expe...
North Carolina now fifth-fastest-growing state in the country
Domestic migration accounts for more than 75% of its population growth
North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. Vibrant areas such as Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington have been successful in attracting people from across th...
The housing market is unlikely to make the Fed’s job easier any time soon
Housing costs look to remain high in battle to tame inflation
With positive data on the health of the job market recently raising hopes for a soft landing, the Federal Reserve’s fight to tamp down on the last leg of inflation has come into fo...
Charleston experiencing a retail rent surge
Population increase helps to push average store rents above national rates
A surge in migration from high-income households and coastal tourism, combined with a tightening supply of new retail space, has led to significant retail rent growth in Charleston...
Fretting over the labor market appears overdone
But surveys show caution ahead
After earlier reports showed the labor market continuing to slow amid restrictive financial conditions, the Federal Reserve decided it might be time to stop focusing on its fight a...