Greensboro College Economist: Greensboro-Area Job Growth a "Wonder"

William K. MacReynolds, director, the N.C.

Center for Economic Prosperity at Greensboro College

"GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The Greensboro/High Point metropolitan area's employment growth during the past year makes the area "the third wonder of the state of North Carolina," said William K. MacReynolds, director of the N.C. Center for Economic Prosperity at Greensboro College.

Total jobs in the area increased by 3.6% from March 2014 to March 2015, exceeded only by the Asheville area's 3.7% growth and Burlington's 4.7% growth.

MacReynolds noted that Greensboro/High Point was third in the state in number of jobs created in the past year, with 12,500, trailing Charlotte (36,700) and Raleigh (18,800).

These top three metropolitan areas accounted for 58% of the 118,000 new jobs in North Carolina over the year.

The unemployment rate in North Carolina stood just below the national average in March at 5.4%. Within North Carolina, the lowest unemployment rates are found in Asheville, Durham/Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Burlington ranging from a low of 4.4% to 4.9%.  Greensboro/High Point unemployment is a tick above the national average at 5.5%.

MacReynolds also pointed out a decrease in the size of the labor force in areas such as Fayetteville, Rocky Mount, Greenville and Winston-Salem, where job growth has been slow. He speculates that part of the decrease in the labor force is driven by people relocating to areas where employment prospects are brighter.

The N.C. Center for Economic Prosperity, housed in the School of Business at Greensboro College, was founded in March 2015 to gather, analyze, and comment on economic data and policies that affect North Carolinians.

MacReynolds, formerly an economist for the Federal Trade Commission, director of economic forecasting for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a Blue Chip Economics forecaster, taught part-time at Greensboro College from 2010 until joining the full-time faculty in 2014.

 

Greensboro College provides a liberal-arts education grounded in the traditions of the United Methodist Church and fosters the intellectual, social, and, spiritual development of all students while supporting their individual needs.

Founded in 1838 and located near downtown Greensboro, the college enrolls about 1,150 students from 26 states, the District of Columbia and 10 nations in its undergraduate liberal-arts program and four master's degree programs. In addition to rigorous academics and a well-supported Honors program, the school features a 17-sport NCAA Division III athletic program and dozens of service and recreational opportunities."

- A Press Release