Recession Deep, Recovery Slow In North Carolina

The economic downturn hit North Carolina harder than much of the country, and it will take the state longer to recover. That's the conclusion of a new report from UNC's Global Research Institute.

Senior Fellow Daniel Gitterman is an author of the report. He says a survey of data over the last 5 years shows job losses cut across demographic groups and industries. He says the state will need to be flexible in order to increase employment.

Gitterman says, "There are a number of these community college certificate programs that some of those folks can command higher wages than those with a B.A. We need to be open to whatever skills and training both meet the interests of individuals as well as fill what opportunities are in the labor market."

However, Gitterman says the data trends suggest many of the new jobs on the horizon will be low-wage. That means a danger that greater employment won't necessarily mean less poverty. The state's unemployment rate of 9-point-6 percent remains more than a full point above the national average.