Work, Wages, and Well-Being UPDATE: The NC Budget & Tax Center is committed to updating this page with the most current labor market data. However, due to ongoing federal government shutdowns, the release of data continues to be irregular, and so our usual cadence may be delayed without prior notice. Understanding North Carolina’s Labor Market…

North Carolina remains the only state in the country without a comprehensive budget for the 2025-2027 biennium. Without a fully updated budget, public programs, such as Medicaid, lack the necessary funding to succeed, and residents are bearing the brunt of the state legislature’s impasse with increasing healthcare costs. “North Carolinians who rely on Medicaid are...

Community members, advocates, workers, and policy leaders gathered in Durham for the NC Budget & Tax Center’s (BTC) Economy for All 2026 on Jan. 22, an evening grounded in a shared belief that North Carolina’s economy should value each of our humanity and provide real opportunity for everyone.   Watch a recording of Economy for All 2026 and see photos from the event here. The night began…

NC Newsroom- Angela Baker-Hill knew she needed to sign up for health insurance again when lab results over the summer showed that her kidney disease had progressed slightly. Baker-Hill had stopped …

North Carolina remains the only state in the country without a comprehensive budget for the 2025-2027 biennium. Without a fully updated budget, public programs, such as Medicaid, lack the necessary funding to succeed, and residents are bearing the brunt of the state legislature’s impasse with increasing healthcare costs. “North Carolinians who rely on Medicaid are...

North Carolina is trapped in a time loop much like Bill Murray in the 1990s classic Groundhog Day — but with a tax cut twist.

Summary:

Fourteen months after Hurricane Helene devastated our region, residents, state agencies, local governments and community organizations are still working to provide recovery assistance to communities that need support rebuilding and restoring livelihoods after the storm.

North Carolina’s economy has seen explosive growth since 1970, rising to eleventh in GDP in the nation. But its income growth has lagged behind the rest of the country.

North Carolina was the only state that didn’t pass a budget in 2025. Now, it won’t have a budget until at least April as Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature remain in a stalemate over tax cuts. Among other consequences, this means the state Medicaid program will see a budget shortfall of $319 million....

No major action is expected at the state legislature until after the March primary elections. But when lawmakers do return to session, a flurry of activity could soon follow with votes on billions of dollars in state funding, new policy changes and more.

News in Spanish about politics, immigration and community issues for Latinos in North Carolina.

Lack of access to affordable, high-quality child care is a barrier to labor force participation for working parents in North Carolina and affects our state’s economy. In 2024, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the NC Chamber Foundation, and NC Child released Untapped Potential in NC, a statewide study that estimated that child care-related work disruptions cost North Carolina’s economy $5.65 billion annually, driven by $4.29 billion in employer costs and $1.36 billion in lost tax revenues.

Work, Wages, and Well-Being Understanding North Carolina’s Labor Market No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve: Fulfilling work A living wage The freedom to thrive To know whether our economy and political systems are delivering on this vision, and to understand where we’re falling short, we need to…

North Carolina hasn’t raised its minimum wage since 2009, and it’s still stuck at the federal minimum. It’s beyond time the state stepped up for its workers.