Number of Unemployed in North Carolina Tripled Since 2000

Over the last decade, the number of North Carolinians in the unemployment line almost tripled, increasing by nearly 300,000. At the same time, the state was a net loser of private sector jobs, with more than 130,000 such jobs being lost from 2000 to 2010.

The last ten years have seen a steady growth of North Carolina’s working-age population, adding close to a million more residents aged 18 to 64. Sadly, the largest share of this swelling population joined the ranks of the unemployed.

	2000	2010	Nominal Change	% Change
Working-Age Population	5,135,609	6,062,422	926,813	18%
Total Unemployed	160,582	454,694	294,112	183%
Total Government Workers	555,000	647,300	92,300	17%
Private Sector Employees	3,327,700	3,193,700	-134,000	-4%

Analyzing the data from the last decade reveals some interesting facts about North Carolina’s economy:

• While the working-age population increased by 18 percent, the number of unemployed in North Carolina exploded by ten times that rate.
• In spite of adding nearly one million residents to the working-age population, North Carolina amazingly still lost 134,000 private sector jobs from 2000 to 2010. The loss represents a 4 percent contraction of private sector employment.
• At the same time of skyrocketing unemployment rolls and private sector job losses, the total number of government workers (local, state and federal) grew at a healthy 17 percent clip – adding close to 100,000 in total.

The data suggests North Carolina’s policies have resulted in a woeful track record when it comes to job creation. In spite of a nearly one million increase in the working-age population, the state managed to end the decade with 134,000 fewer residents employed in the private sector than when it began.

North Carolina lawmakers have failed miserably to create a state climate conducive for job growth. Upon inspection of the state’s labor trends since 2000, one could easily declare the last ten years to be North Carolina’s lost decade.

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