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Charlotte, North Carolina: A Smart City
Insulated from Recession, Jobs Increasing
Charlotte - Mecklenburg labor market or Workforce Development area is a prospering region with many attractions to fuel tourism and related industries involving retail, food service, accommodations and others. Healthcare is also a big market contributor.
Being a Smart City, a significant percentage of its population has earned at least a bachelor's degree or higher, not to mention all the associate degrees (AA, AS, etc.) and educational certifications of those that do and do not possess the BA/BS. as a college town, Charlotte is very bright educationally and economically and this keeps it somewhat above the fray of economic downturns and recessions.
All this is not to say that some jobs were not lost in the 2008 - 2010 US recession, but Charlotte was not devastated, and the numbers of jobs listed for the market area increased overall from 2005 - 2022, despite the recession and a temporary job loss during the Covid-19 pandemic. By July 2014, Charlotte enjoyed job listings of over 58,400 employment vacancies. By Autumn 2022, over 75,000 jobs were available.
Job growth in the Charlotte region is leading the national rate in several areas including business services, financial activities, education and health services.
— Alliance.comTop High Demand Jobs In the Greater Charlotte Area
- Registered Nurses, including Nurse Practitioners
- Truck Drivers with CDL
- Network and Systems Engineers and Project Managers
- Business Analysts
- Software Engineers
- Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineers
- Salespeople, Sales Representatives
- Nursing and Medical Assistants
- Pharmacy Technicians
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Managers and Assistant Managers
- Physical and Occupational Therapists
Joba are Increasing in the Research Triangle
Largest Companies
These companies maintain the largest employee groups in Charlotte:
- Research Triangle Park: Multiple Employers
- Bank of America Corp - also a top hiring company.
- International Paper Co
- Mid-South Metal Buyers
- Wachovia Corp
- Duke Energy Corp
- Schneider National Inc
- Continental Tire North America
Best Charlotte Companies According to Employee Interviews
From the Charlotte Agenda, 2020
- Bank of America
- Red Ventures: Owns Lonely Planet, CNET, ZDNet, The Points Guy, Healthline and Bankrate.
- Wells Fargo
- Duke Energy
- Honeywell: Part of NASA's Commercial Crew
- Noviant Health
- Carolina Panthers
- Lowe's
- Ally Bank
- Avid Exhange
I-77 runs from Cleveland OH through Charlotte and on to Florida. Carowinds Theme Park is just one of the attractions in North Carolina on I-77.
I-77 Corridor Creates Economic Health
Higher Education
Charlotte is certainly a college town, given the number of high quality universities and colleges in and around the city. Higher education facilities often draw funding, research professionals, and new businesses into a city, thereby creating new fields of work and additional job listings for residents. Students are drawn to such cities and often stay on after graduation.
- Art Institute of Charlotte - Degree programs in the areas of Design, Media Arts, Fashion, and Culinary Arts and Management.
- Belmont Abbey College
- Brookstone College
- Carolina School of Broadcasting
- Carolinas College of Health Sciences
- Carolinas HealthCare System, Mercy School of Nursing
- Central Piedmont Community College
- Community School of the Arts
- Central Piedmont Community College
- DeVry University and Keller Graduate School
- EPCI College of Technology - Charlotte
- European School of Music
- Johnson & Wales University
- Johnson C Smith University
- King's College, Charlotte
- Monart Drawing School
- New Life Theological Seminary
- Pfeiffer University
- Presbyterian Hospital, School of Practical Nursing
- Queens University of Charlotte
- TechTrain
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- University of Phoenix at the Charlotte Campus
NASCAR Hall of Fame
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Famous Attractions
- Carowinds - North and South Carolina's Best Theme Park. Carowinds is the biggest, most unique theme park experience in the Carolinas.
- Levine Museum of the New South
- The NASCAR Hall of Fame - Where the race lives on. The official site of The NASCAR Hall of Fame - a state-of-the-art facility that will honor NASCAR icons and create an enduring tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners and others that have impacted the sport in the past, present and future.
- US National Whitewater Rafting Center
Political Conventions in Charlotte
The Billy Graham installation is quite welcoming. A tour of buildings and grounds takes three hours, with an onsite cafe and bookstore for the convenience of visitors.
— Billygraham.org/LibraryReverend Billy Graham Library and Birthplace
Charlotte Professional and Semi-Pro Sports
- Charlotte Knights Baseball
- Carolina Panthers Football NFL
- Charlotte Bobcats Basketball NBA
- Charlotte Checkers Ice Hockey ECH
- Charlotte Professional Wrestling NWA
- Charlotte Eagles Soccer USL-2
- Charlotte Lady Eagles Soccer W-League
- Charlotte Roller Girls - Roller Derby, flat track.
- Carolina Speed Indoor Football AIFA
- Charlotte Rugby Football Club RSL
A Woman Called Charlotte
The City of Charlotte in Mecklinberg County was named a year previous to its founding to honor the mistress of King George III of England during colonial days. This was Charlotte, or "Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz" a German woman of royalty that married George.
This is a reason that the city is called the Queen City. However, during the Revolutionary War, so much dissent and rebellion was given the British by the American Colonists, that the city became known as The Hornet's Nest - much in keeping with the US Naval Jack motto Don't Tread on Me. Colonials that felt English rule to be abusive would not submit to defeat and became like dangerous members of the animal world to the Redcoats.
The city started out as a trading post and fort near the Catawba River, constructed at the crossing of two Native American pathways. The Charlotte area became a gateway for travel from the north to the south for new settlers and remained so, leading to a health Travel and Tourism Industry today. Wagon trails, railroads and a railroad hub, major highways, and finally airports locked in transportation revenues and opportunities.
Some settlers stayed on in Charlotte instead of moving on and built a number of churches of different denominations, leading to another nickname - Church City. In the 21st Century, numerous organizations and publications have names Charlotte a Best City as well - best place to live, best place to begin a new business, and many others.
Sources
- Glassdoor.com. Top Companies in Charlotte.
- Lang, H. Charlotte companies saw major shifts in Fortune 500 rankings, with a new firm on top. The Charlotte Observer. May 24, 2022.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
© 2009 Patty Inglish MS
