by Jane Winik Sartwell, Carolina Public Press April 2, 2025
Six months later and still out of a job. That’s the reality for nearly 13,000 Asheville residents half a year after Tropical Storm Helene struck Western North Carolina.
In the wake of the historic storm, hundreds of businesses closed. The region’s multibillion dollar tourism sector took a devastating hit. Thousands of people were severed from their jobs. Many have not returned to the workforce.
Asheville, a city of roughly 95,000 people, typically boasts the lowest unemployment rate of North Carolina’s municipalities.
As of January, the most recent figures available, Asheville had a 6% unemployment rate — the state’s highest — according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.
Clark Duncan, director of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, calls the ranking a “new and unwelcome accolade.”
Help wanted in Asheville
Rocky Mount and Fayetteville, each hovering around 5% unemployment, are giving Asheville a run for its money.
The capital city of Raleigh is home to North Carolina’s lowest jobless rate at 3.2%.
And statewide, that number is a respectable 4%.
But Asheville’s high rate of unemployment doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t jobs in the region, according to one expert.
“Buncombe County certainly does not have a jobs problem,” said Andrew Berger-Gross, a senior economist for the N.C. Department of Commerce. “What they have is an unemployment problem. We see employers hiring, but there is a large contingent of workers who have not returned to work.”
First, there is what economists call a “matching problem.” Meaning, the jobs that need to be filled do not match the skills and interests of the unemployed.
There are 20,000 job openings in the region, according to Nathan Ramsey, director of the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board. Sectors like health care and manufacturing are on track for normal hiring numbers. Plus, Helene actually created jobs in certain industries, such as construction and debris removal.
“You may be the best bartender in the world, the best server, the best cook — but does that mean you want to drive an 18-wheeler up mountain roads?,” Ramsey asked. “Does that mean you can do — or want to do — construction? Probably not.”
Second: Just because someone needs a job doesn’t mean they are ready or able to get one.
“It is safe to assume that a lot of those unemployed workers might be facing barriers to re-employment — like losing your home or losing your car,” Berger-Gross explained. “Frankly, some people might still be struggling with the emotional trauma of the hurricane’s destruction.
“A lot of these people may need help putting their lives back together before they are ready to return to the workforce.”
Though unemployment rates rose in Asheville and Buncombe County in winter months, the amount of open positions in the region is a positive sign for an economic rebound, as are increased retail sales and hotel occupancy.
But there are concerns that the state’s disaster unemployment program might not be working as it should.
“I get a lot of emails from folks who are kind of struggling with getting unemployment assistance,” state Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, told Carolina Public Press. “Either they’ve applied for it and they haven’t gotten it or they’ve been turned down because they’re back at work a little bit, but not full time.”
Mayfield is hopeful that tourists will arrive to watch wildflowers bloom across the Appalachians this spring.
But wildfires across Western North Carolina may jeopardize those plans.
Smoke signals
Closed trails and roads, mandatory evacuations and poor air quality have scared off springtime tourists and kept locals from their typical routines.
Adventure tourism businesses in the area aren’t operating, putting tour guides and other personnel out of work, said Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof. Evacuation orders in her county were lifted early this week, but Brevard’s annual bike race — Assault on the Carolinas — was canceled due to the fires.
While most economic indicators in Western North Carolina have been trending positive, an additional natural disaster, such as these fires, threatens to stall recovery before the region can fully rebound.
There is an emotional impact of the wildfires as well. The din of helicopters above the mountains is a painful reminder of the panic and trauma of Helene. Plus, the downed trees and mangled forest floors from the storm make the blazes worse.
“Some people were really triggered by the fact that there was another threat to their home and their health on the six-month anniversary of Helene,” said Leah Matthews, a UNC-Asheville economics professor. “You have people thinking: ‘I’m just starting to rebuild this house and now I need to evacuate again.’”
In the wake of wildfire and flood, economic recovery in the mountains will require patience and a willingness to adapt. The community is wrestling with fundamental questions about its identity and future.
“The elephant in the room is that the region suffered a historic tragedy, and you can’t push rewind on the VCR of life,” Berger-Gross said. “You can’t go back to a time before the disaster hit — that is why it is a tragedy. All of us are trying to move to a better future for Asheville and for Western North Carolina more broadly. But will things be exactly like they were before the hurricane? No, they can’t be.”
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-17 07:59:00
NAACP President Derrick Johnson announced President Donald Trump will not be invited to the NAACP’s national convention in Charlotte due to his perceived attacks on democracy and civil rights. Johnson criticized Trump for unconstitutional executive orders, military misuse, and undermining democracy for personal gain. If upheld, Trump would be the first sitting president in 116 years denied an invitation. Despite this, Trump has boosted support among Black voters, especially younger Black men, and historically won North Carolina three times. The NAACP, advocating civil rights, continues to litigate against Trump’s administration. North Carolina’s political landscape has shifted, with growing unaffiliated voters and a divided state government.
(The Center Square) – Citing democracy and civil rights differences, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said President Donald Trump will not be invited to Charlotte for his organization’s national convention July 12-16.
“Right now, it’s clear – Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights,” Johnson said. “He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American. The president has signed unconstitutional executive orders to oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections; he has illegally turned the military on our communities; and he continually undermines every pillar of our democracy to make himself more powerful and to personally benefit from the U.S. government.”
Trump, second-term Republican, would be the first sitting president in 116 years to not receive an invitation, should it hold. The nation’s 47th commander in chief has worked from a campaign slogan of making America “great again,” implementing a series of orders that reverse several Biden-era policies, the majority of which Congress is yet to codify.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has backed several litigations against the presidential administration, and the Republican majority General Assembly of North Carolina, often alongside with Democrats or their advocating entities. Trump has won North Carolina three times in presidential races, and in November swept the electoral college votes of seven swing states 93-0 against Democrat Kamala Harris.
Trump, in comparison to 2020 against Joe Biden, doubled his share of Black voters against Harris, and in the under age 45 category of Black men, he also doubled his share. Harris’ father is from Jamaica, her mother from India.
The NAACP convention arrives in a state once blue as they come and now with a voting bloc split in thirds.
On Jan. 1, 2004, the state’s more than 5 million voters were split 47.6% Democrats, 34.4% Republicans and 17.7% unaffiliated. That was five years after the state’s 10 executive offices – the Council of State – was occupied by 10 Democrats.
Today, the more than 7.5 million voters are 37.8% unaffiliated, 30.7% Democrats and 30.4% Republicans. And the Council of State has been a Republican majority before falling back in November to a 5-5 split.
A trip by Trump would have been his third since the Jan. 20 inauguration. His first venture from the White House was four days later to see the devastation in the western part of the state caused by Hurricane Helene. His second was a week ago to visit Fort Bragg as the Army celebrated 250 years.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article presents facts about the NAACP’s decision not to invite Donald Trump to its national convention while quoting NAACP President Derrick Johnson’s strongly worded criticisms of Trump’s actions. The framing allows Johnson’s perspective to dominate early in the article, with phrases like “attacking our democracy” and “fascist playbook” left unchallenged or unexplored from alternative views. Although the article includes context about Trump’s electoral success and shifts in voter demographics, the lack of balancing quotes or responses from Trump’s team or other political figures suggests a subtle ideological leaning. However, the article refrains from editorializing in its own voice and includes verifiable data, keeping the overall tone close to factual reporting with a slight lean toward a progressive viewpoint due to emphasis and selection of quotes.
SUMMARY: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, known for his bipartisan approach and lack of vetoes so far, faces pressure to reject Senate Bill 50, recently passed by the General Assembly. The bill would allow residents aged 18 and older to carry concealed weapons without a permit or training. Critics argue this includes high school seniors carrying loaded, hidden handguns without restrictions. Despite Stein’s efforts to cooperate with Republicans, the bill reflects a lack of reciprocation. Though it passed with strong support, enough opposition exists to uphold a veto. Rob Schofield of NC Newsline urges Stein to veto the measure and rally support.
SUMMARY: Congress is debating a new federal fee on hybrid and electric vehicles, potentially charging drivers up to $500 annually. North Carolina’s electric vehicle registrations have surged from 10,000 in 2018 to over 110,000 today, with 70% in Wake County. The House budget bill proposes $100 yearly for hybrids and $250 for EVs, though some Republicans seek to double these amounts to offset declining gas tax revenue. Critics argue such fees could deter EV adoption and hinder emission reductions. North Carolina already charges state fees, and the same bill aims to phase out the $7,500 federal EV tax credit after next year.
Congress may add a yearly federal fee, $100 for hybrids and $250 for electric vehicles, with some senators pushing to double it. The charge would stack on state fees and could erase the fuel savings that attract many buyers.
