North Carolina at a Crossroads: Balancing Growth and Hardship
Rising Costs, Worker Shortages, and New Policies Threaten Families and Economic Stability
North Carolina’s job market is like two sides of a coin. One side shows a lot of good things happening, but the other side shows real problems that need fixing. President Biden’s team talks about low unemployment and new jobs, which is true. But for many families, life is still hard. We need to look at what’s really going on and make it better.
Here’s the good news: North Carolina’s unemployment rate is only 3.9%. Places like Raleigh are doing great, with lots of jobs in technology, education, and healthcare. The average household in Raleigh makes $75,424 a year. This is helping the state recover from the pandemic and grow stronger.
But not everyone feels this success. Many families can’t keep up with rising costs. Prices for homes and energy have gone up, but wages haven’t grown as fast. Housing costs are up 25% in just five years, and energy bills have gone up 15%. Families making $50,000 to $149,999 are feeling the squeeze. Wages are not keeping up because many companies prioritize profits over raising pay, and there is increased competition for jobs that don’t require advanced skills. This has made it hard for some people to trust the government to solve their problems.
There’s another big problem: we don’t have enough workers. Jobs in healthcare and manufacturing need more people. Youth unemployment is really high at 11.7%. That means a lot of young people are looking for work but can’t find jobs. This hurts businesses and slows down the economy. If these issues aren’t fixed, North Carolina’s economy could face long-term problems. Businesses might stop expanding, and fewer new companies might move here. Families could struggle even more, and the state’s growth could slow down.
Unfortunately, the road ahead looks even tougher. The President, House, and Senate are now Republican-led, and their policies threaten to make life harder for working families. They’re pushing for tariffs that will raise prices, stricter immigration rules that hurt industries needing skilled workers, and cuts to the Affordable Care Act. At the same time, they’re adding trillions more to the national deficit. These actions could bring back inflation and make it even harder for families to make ends meet.
So, what can we do? Here are some ideas:
Train More Workers: Let’s teach people the skills they need. We can have programs in community colleges and offer apprenticeships to help workers get ready for jobs.
Support Parents: Many parents can’t work because childcare is too expensive or hard to find. We need more childcare centers and help paying for them.
Fix Immigration Rules: Some industries need workers from other countries. We should make it easier for skilled workers to stay here and help our economy grow.
Build Affordable Homes: Rising housing costs are pushing families out of cities like Raleigh and Charlotte. We need more affordable homes so people can live near their jobs.
Use Technology: New machines and tools can help businesses work better. At the same time, we should teach workers how to use these new tools so no one is left behind.
North Carolina is at a crossroads. The policies coming out of Washington could hurt working families and push our state backward. But we can fight back by investing in people and making smart choices. If we take these steps, we can protect our future and build a stronger North Carolina for everyone.