Amid last year’s job losses, companies announced expansions, relocations and other moves that would create more than 12,000 jobs in the Charlotte area, according to a report the Charlotte Chamber released today.
The 12,165 jobs announced are down 17 percent from those announced in 2007. In addition, some announced jobs won’t be filled until this year or even later, and they don’t reflect jobs eliminated last year. According to state employment data, the number of people with jobs in Mecklenburg County declined by 5,735 in the first 11 months of 2008.
Still, Chamber officials said the new jobs show the Charlotte economy is still experiencing some growth. The 1,337 firms that announced plans to invest in the region and create jobs were a record high, surpassing 1,326 firms in 2007. In addition, the more than $2.3 billion in proposed investment topped the previous year by about 2 percent, although it was far less than the nearly $4.1 billion in investment announced in 2006.
The biggest jobs gains came in accommodations and food service with 3,476, retail with 2,098, and professional and technical services with 2,036. With announced investment, development accounted for $955.5 million – more than 40 percent of the total – while health care and social assistance was almost $637.4 million and accommodations and food service was nearly $146.2 million.
Source: Charlotte Observer
