News
Pilot program aims to ease NC prison staffing crisis
The state’s prison system is estimated to be staffed with only half of the correctional officers needed to safely operate.
News
Report: UNC System not graduating enough students in high-demand fields
The “Workforce Alignment Report" is a new initiative, with plans to be updated every two years, to understand ties between degrees competed and jobs created in the state.
News
TSA staff shortages put pressure on NC airports
Current TSA leadership has indicated that if staffing shortages continue, smaller airports could temporarily pause operation.
Opinion
Iconic local restaurants shuttering amid labor shortages, rising costs
The future of dining in every community is in the hands of consumers. Every time we choose where to eat, we're voting with our dollars.
Opinion
Our economy still needs more workers
Due to America's dire shortage of workers, the Trump administration is likely to take more pragmatic steps to target chaos at the border and unfairness in visa programs without greatly diminishing the pool of foreign workers.
Opinion
Despite labor shortage, NC workers continue to see licensing hurdles
Nearly 30% of US workers need a license to perform their duties, and the barriers to market entry can be onerous in North Carolina.
Opinion
Is it a bird, a plane, or the crazy economy?
When I was growing up in the 1950s, I was a fan of the Superman TV show. The program opened with the announcer looking up at the sky and saying, “It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s Superman!” I’ve used a modified version in today’s column to add some humor to the serious question of what...
Opinion
News & Observer gets it wrong on taxes
Raleigh News & Observer editor Ned Barnett continues to be of the belief that what ails North Carolina is a state government that is too small. In his Jan. 29 editorial, he expresses frustration that hard-working North Carolinians are keeping too much of their money. Claiming that “excessive tax cuts” over the past several years...
Opinion
If inflation subsides, is everything OK?
Most surveys show inflation is one of the top issues in the country. For several months the inflation rate has been hovering just shy of double-digits on a year-over-year basis. But what if the Federal Reserve is successful in reducing the inflation rate? Does this mean we’re fine? What if, for example, this time next...
Opinion
Stop pushing political panic buttons
Remember when rapid automation was going to render large swaths of the workforce unemployed? Politicians and other professional worrywarts warned that robots would displace production workers, that self-driving vehicles and drones would displace truckers and delivery personnel, and the algorithms and kiosks would displace service and managerial employees. Radical responses such as universal basic income...
Opinion
Worker shortage won’t end soon
North Carolina’s labor-force participation rate was 59.3% in November. Two years ago, in November 2019, that rate was 61.5%.
Opinion
Buncombe County hit hard, but not just by COVID-19
North Carolina’s tourism industry lost more than half of its jobs in the first part of 2020 following Gov. Roy Cooper’s lockdowns. Annual visitor spending decreased 32% from 2019. Buncombe County in particular took a significant hit. Visitor spending decreased by a whopping 34.9% from 2019, the 10th largest among North Carolina counties. Given the county...
