1.18.24

DMJPS is pleased to provide a statewide quarterly economic report with highlights of North Carolina’s fifteen metros for the 3rd quarter of 2023. Indicators suggest the state has maintained its standing and experienced overall steady growth compared to a year prior.

• In the third quarter of 2023, employment in North Carolina averaged just over 4.9 million, marking the second highest quarterly average for the state on record.

• North Carolina’s third quarter average unemployment rate of 3.5 percent was lower than the national 3.8 percent. Five of the state’s fifteen metros experienced an unemployment rate that was greater than the national rate in the third quarter of 2023.

• Manufacturing was the only major industry to lose jobs in the third quarter compared to the third quarter a year prior.

• The private industry average hourly wage in North Carolina rose to $31.45 in the third quarter, the highest average hourly wage of any quarter dating back to 2007. This increase offset the slight drop between the first and second quarters of 2023. Durham-Chapel Hill metro had the highest average hourly wage at $36.54.

• At 6.2 percent, North Carolina’s same-home annual appreciation rate in the third quarter outpaced the national rate of 4.8 percent. The Jacksonville metro ranked first among the state’s metros at 13.3 percent.

• Taxable retail sales in North Carolina totaled $59.3 billion in the third quarter of 2023 for a 2.9 percent increase compared to a year earlier. This growth rate was notably lower when compared to 2021 and 2022 third quarter year-over-year percentage increases.



• Special feature, household income: North Carolina’s average household income was $92,878 in 2022. However, the average household income for families was 95% higher when compared to nonfamily households.

1.09.24

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and OpenAI today announced a pilot program for a tool that will allow state employees to advance the responsible use of generative AI in government.

The pilot was recommended by the state’s Generative AI Governing Board, which was established by executive order in September 2023 to make recommendations related to generative AI policy, development, procurement and deployment.

As states work to develop road maps to guide AI use, different state governments are exploring different regulatory approaches — and Pennsylvania was an early adopter of a generative AI-focused policy.

The pilot will be led by the state’s Office of Administration, leveraging the OpenAI product called ChatGPT Enterprise to help employees better understand the role of AI in their daily operations — and how it can be adopted securely.

The goal for the pilot is that, in state employees’ first use of GenAI tools, the findings will reveal helpful information to guide further integration of the technology into state daily operations to improve productivity.

Notably, this marks OpenAI’s first agreement with a state entity.