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19 <br /> LONG-RUN PROSPECTS FOR NORTH CAROLINA <br /> Eventually the pandemic will be over, and therefore it is useful to look ahead to the <br /> economy in the long run. <br /> Like all states,North Carolina has suffered major human and monetary losses from the <br /> Covid-19 virus. However, on a comparative basis to other states,North Carolina's losses have <br /> been relatively low. Covid-19 deaths per capita and job losses per capita during the recession <br /> have both been low in North Carolina compared to other states.3 <br /> This means North Carolina will be considered to be a relatively"safe" state for dealing <br /> with any future pandemics. If—as many futurists expect—there will be a"geographic re- <br /> sorting" of businesses and population in the post-pandemic economy, then North Carolina should <br /> be the recipient of more people and more businesses moving to the state. Rather than expecting <br /> a state population of 14 million in 2050,4 the result could easily be higher at somewhere between <br /> 15 and 16 million. <br /> The state could also be re-shaped by forces growing out of the pandemic. Universal <br /> high-speed internet is now widely recognized as a necessity in the modern world, and should be <br /> accomplished by 2030. This will allow more households and businesses to take advantage of <br /> "remote activities" - like remote work, remote access to services, and remote delivery of <br /> products—that were widely used during the pandemic. And while metropolitan areas in the state <br /> will continue to be fast-growing, the greater use of remote-access will allow more small-town <br /> and rural areas to attract households and businesses and take part in economic expansion. The <br /> urban-rural divide could finally be narrowed. <br /> s https://hamiltonplacestrategies.com/50-states-50-pandemic-responses-an-analysis-of-jobs-lost-and-lives-lost/. <br /> 4 https://files.nc.gov/ncosbm/demog/countygrowth_2050.html. <br /> 13 <br />