EDPNC Releases Report Documenting the State of the North Carolina Workforce

June 18, 2024

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) today released its latest report, North Carolina: Discover the #1 Workforce in the Country, outlining the status of North Carolina’s workforce, the state’s commitment to building and strengthening the talent pool and how North Carolina is preparing for future workforce needs. The report is sponsored by Graham Personnel Services, a full-service staffing firm located in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) today released its latest report, North Carolina: Discover the #1 Workforce in the Country, outlining the status of North Carolina’s workforce, the state’s commitment to building and strengthening the talent pool and how North Carolina is preparing for future workforce needs. The report is sponsored by Graham Personnel Services, a full-service staffing firm located in Greensboro, North Carolina.

This comprehensive report identifies the key components that support North Carolina’s world-class talent pool, such as:

  • An influx of people from all over the county moving to North Carolina at a rate of 350 new residents a day.
  • An unmatched higher education system that includes 52 public and private universities, three Tier-1 research universities, and the third largest community college system in the nation.
  • Partnerships between technical training, academia, and industry that provide workforce development and training.
  • A robust statewide jobseeker network that includes resources to hire transitioning military.
  • An innovative and thorough strategic economic development plan that offers a comprehensive approach to development and training.

North Carolina’s workforce is continually ranked as one of the top workforces in the nation. In fact, North Carolina earned the coveted title of CNBC’s Top State for Business in each of the last two years, receiving top marks for its workforce above all other states. North Carolina also has the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast, one of the strongest pools of STEM-educated workers in the country and ranks 13th in the nation for the total number of engineers in its workforce.

Decades worth of investments into building out a strong workforce development system that is responsive to industry needs has attracted investment from renowned global manufacturers such as Toyota, Siemens, Honda Aircraft, Fortune 500 headquarters like Honeywell and Lowe’s, and leading technology firms like Apple and Google.

“A state’s workforce is critical to attracting companies who are looking to establish, relocate or expand their business, and North Carolina’s workforce is top-notch,” said Christopher Chung, CEO of the EDPNC. “The state has been able to attract globally renowned companies like Toyota, Siemens, Lowe’s, Apple and more, which have created more jobs and economic opportunities for our residents. Our continued investment in our workforce will ensure North Carolina is prepared to meet the economic development needs of the future.”

A digital copy of North Carolina: Discover the #1 Workforce in the Country can be found on the EPDNC’s workforce and education page.

About Graham Personnel Services

Graham Personnel Services is an award-winning full-service staffing firm that has specialized in hiring, retention and recruiting for more than 50 years. Graham Personnel Services helps employers from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and job seekers nationwide by providing temporary, temporary-to-hire, direct hire, and payrolling services across a variety of industries. For more information, visit grahamjobs.com or call (336) 288-9330.

About the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a private nonprofit corporation that serves as North Carolina’s statewide economic development organization. Governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders from across the state, the EDPNC focuses on business and job recruitment, existing industry support, international trade, and tourism and film marketing. The EDPNC, which operates under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, works closely with public- and private-sector partners at the state, regional and local levels. For more information, visit edpnc.com.