Job numbers in Charlotte have bounced back. According to new figures from the Labor Department, the region had 1.26 million workers in October 2021. That’s slightly more than just before the pandemic prompted a shutdown of businesses.
The new figures also show Charlotte’s economy has recovered faster than other parts of the country.
“You have a lot of people moving here from other states,” The Charlotte Ledger’s Tony Mecia told WFAE’s Marshall Terry on this week’s installment of BizWorthy. “You know, part of the Sun Belt — these cities in the South and the West — they get a lot of people coming. The economy here has been generally pretty strong compared to national figures.”
But that growth isn’t all even — some industries are doing better than others.
“Leisure and hospitality is still pretty significantly behind where it was when the pandemic hit,” Mecia said. “The number of those jobs is down about 9%. But there are other sectors that have been really surging and have been really doing well. The trade and transportation sector, for example — that's, you know, logistics, shipping. It's no secret we're ordering a lot more from home — Amazon and all that. That sector is really seeing big employment gains, as well as financial services. And construction is up a little bit. So, it really depends, industry by industry, but overall, that number is a positive.”
You can listen to the full BizWorthy conversation above. Here’s a glance at what else Mecia and Terry covered this week.
- Some companies are rethinking corporate gift-giving — aka, more company swag for employees and clients.
- A new office tower is being proposed in SouthPark. At 250 feet, it would be the tallest building in the neighborhood.
- American Airlines is ordering new Airbus A321XLR planes that could increase the number of international flights out of Charlotte Douglas airport.
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