NFIB’s nationwide Index of Small Business Optimism has shown steady growth in the confidence small business owners feel about the economy and their ability to grow, but North Carolina employers are doing especially well. Following the release of the July index rating, NFIB/NC State Director Gregg Thompson told The Courier-Tribune that state members were reporting that business is good, creating demand for additional workers.
It helps that North Carolina continues to earn top spots on best-of lists ranking the states for their business climates. The latest, a corporate executives report released by Development Counsellors International, named North Carolina the fifth best state in the nation for business environment. Fifteen percent of respondents picked it as the state with the most favorable climate for business.
Additionally, the state’s unemployment rate of 4.1 percent held steady below the national average of 4.4 percent in August. Since the same time last year, North Carolina has added 69,738 jobs, and the number of unemployed people has declined by 42,910 over the same time span.
“While attracting jobs and top-tier national rankings, North Carolina is realizing the economic promise of pro-growth policies that put families first, help businesses grow, and attract cutting-edge companies for our rapidly growing workforce,” said North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore in a statement.
