Opinion
Why business leaders ought to worry
What worries is what I perceive to be a growing undercurrent of suspicion, resentment, and outright hostility aimed at the business sector.
News
Raleigh ranks No. 4 among large US metros for small business growth
The Raleigh-Cary metro area is a top large metro for small business performance, according to a new CoworkingCafe study, trailing only Miami, Austin, and Washington, DC.
Opinion
Carolina economy adding few jobs
Whatever the explanation, our present reality is a growing NC economy with surprisingly anemic rate of net new jobs. Policymakers, please take note.
News
Tariffs leave NC’s trade deficit largely unmoved
"Protectionist policies like tariffs may provide some benefit for the protected companies and industries, but, on net, they end up doing more harm than good," said Locke VP of research Brian Balfour.
News
NC’s GDP increases by 5.6% in 3rd quarter
"This is 1.2 points greater than the country's GDP and shows that our economy here in North Carolina is strong."-Brian Hamilton, founder of Inmates to Entrepreneurs
News
Lifestyle costs up from previous generations
Do younger generations have a higher economic baseline for a minimum lifestyle than previous generations?
News
Economic outlook 2026: NC remains strong
“American businesses have been paying these billions of dollars that are going into the tariff fund, if you will, and they are increasingly passing those on to consumers.” — Dr. Michael Walden, NC State economist and professor.
Opinion
Shoddy statistics will produce bad policy
President Donald Trump has removed the head of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and appointed an economist from the Heritage Foundation to replace her. A legal exercise of the president’s powers? Absolutely. But the replacement, EJ Antoni, must be confirmed by the US Senate. I hope North Carolina’s Thom Tillis and Ted Budd give...
Opinion
Tax reform needs a clear goal
While the North Carolina House and Senate continue to discuss how — or whether — to resolve their budget dispute and enact a new fiscal framework for the next two fiscal years, now is an excellent time for tax reformers in both chambers to spell out precisely what they hope to accomplish. Some conservatives in...
News
Tourism sets a new record in NC with over $36 billion spent in 2024
More than $36.7 billion was spent on tourism in NC in 2024, a record, and up from $35.6 billion in 2023, according to a press release issued by Gov. Josh Stein this week, which is also being recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week.
Opinion
Pacesetting states offer growth lessons
High-tax, high-regulation states such as New York and California can’t outcompete Texas and Florida because the latter deliver better public services.
Opinion
What I saw in a state with no income tax
In Washington, their lack of income tax aligns with a broader cultural ethos of cultivating innovation and entrepreneurship, which resonates across party lines.
