Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
25 <br /> These two types of unevenness did not abate in the state in 2016, with one exception. <br /> Figure 3 shows the continuing trends of the fastest job growth in the higher and lower paying <br /> employment sectors, with the slowest growth in middle paying sectors. One "plus" for 2016 is <br /> that some job growth shifted from lower-paying to middle-paying sectors. Figure 4 illustrates <br /> more rapid job growth in large and medium-sized metros especially compared to small metros. <br /> An exception in 2016 was the very strong job boost in non-metro (rural) areas — even greater <br /> than the job growth among large metros. This may mean that employers are motivated to extend <br /> their search for workers to rural counties as the economic recovery ages and unemployment rates <br /> approach low levels in large metropolitan regions. <br /> As indicated in Table 2, the North Carolina economy is likely to expand in 2017 and— <br /> like the nation— at a slightly faster clip than in 2016. One reason is faster population growth in <br /> the state compared to the nation. U.S Census forecasts suggest North Carolina's population will <br /> increase 30% faster than the nation's population in 2017. <br /> Of course, all the economic policies of the Trump Administration will have impacts on <br /> North Carolina, but two stand out. One is a possible increase in military spending. North <br /> Carolina is the home to the largest military base in the world, at Ft. Bragg, as well as several <br /> other major installations. If greater military spending results in significantly more military <br /> personnel, then North Carolina— and especially the Fayetteville area - could see a big boost in <br /> economic activity. However, if the added military spending is mainly allocated to equipment, <br /> then the economic impact in the state will be modest. <br /> 10 <br />