THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 15, 1995 TAG: 9509150588
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
LENGTH: Short : 29 lines
North Carolina's economy is at its lowest in years, but economists think the state's offices, factories and other employers are bouncing back with more hiring.
Employment growth slowed appreciably in the first two quarters of this year, according to the latest quarterly review and forecast of North Carolina's economy by Wake Forest University economist Gary Shoesmith.
``We saw just a glimpse of what would happen if a recession were to occur,'' Shoesmith said. ``But it won't happen.''
Forecasts by Shoesmith and another North Carolina economist, Jim Kleckley of Problem-Solving Research Inc., in Greenville, point to slow pickups in the second half of the year, which would continue next year.
For this year's third and fourth quarters and all of next year combined, North Carolina employers should add about 107,000 jobs to their payrolls, Shoesmith said. That translates to annual job growth of about 2 percent - not a blistering pace, but higher than the first half of this year. by CNB