Recognized as a major United States financial center, and home to some of the country’s most renowned financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies, Charlotte employment opportunities are abundant when compared to other U.S. cities. Charlotte, North Carolina is routinely either number one, or ranked in the Top Ten, of the best cities to live and work in the states. Many people across the country have chosen Charlotte as a region to relocate to primarily because of its job market. The region itself is comprised of a labor market consisting of thirteen counties. In 2008, Relocate-America.com chose Charlotte as the “Best Place To Live” In America based on its vast employment opportunities and affordable housing.
Like other metropolitan areas in the country, Charlotte employment has felt the sting of a slumping economy. According to the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte employment dropped 11.4% as of April 2009, leaving a total of 96,761 unemployed workers. While this is disheartening, this figure is down from the 100,000+ unemployed Charlotte workers at the beginning of 2009. The biggest sectors of job growth in Charlotte in 2009 appear to be in the areas of leisure, hospitality, education, health care and business services.
Online message board forums seem to indicate that transplants from elsewhere are continuing to successfully find employment in Charlotte. The banking industry continues to be a major employer in Charlotte despite industry lay offs and cuts. The city is home to Bank of America. Wachovia, despite being purchased in 2008 by Wells Fargo, is still headquarted in Charlotte as a subsidiary that is wholly-owned by Wells Fargo.
Other Fortune 500 companies offering Charlotte employment opportunities are Lowe’s (located in Charlotte’s suburb of Mooresville), Duke Energy, the steel producer Nucor, Family Dollar, Sonic Automotive, the Goodrich Corporation and the SPX Corporation.
Time Warner Cable, LendingTree, Muzak, Compass Group USA, Belk Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Meineke Car Care, are other well known Charlotte employment providers.
Another major Charlotte employment provider is NASCAR motor sports. Charlotte has been dubbed “the fast lane” as NASCAR has multiple offices throughout the Charlotte region and approximately 80% of Sprint Cup drivers call the area their home.
The Lowe’s Motor Speedway holds three major races in the calendar year – the Bank of America 500 Race, Coca Cola 600 Race and NASCAR Sprint All Star Race. These races bring thousands of tourists to the region, which is a boon for the area’s retail, dining and hospitality industries.
Motor sports may play an even bigger role in Charlotte employment and the region’s overall economy in the years to come. NASCAR is actually constructing their Hall of Fame in Charlotte and the facility is set to open in May of 2010 leading into the 2010 Sprint All-Star Race. Other newly built tracks like the NHRA premier drag strip and the ZMAX Dragway, located slightly north of Charlotte, have created a buzz about the region within the drag racing community. Many big time fixtures in the drag racing community are relocating their shops to Charlotte from areas like California.
Shopping and retail is also strong with Charlotte hosting multiple shopping malls with the SouthPark Mall and Carolina Palace Mall being the biggest and most known. Luxury vendors have targeted Charlotte as an attractive destination, outside of the fashion strongholds of New York City and Los Angeles, with many upscale boutiques, outlet malls and alfresco shopping establishments opening up in the area.
With Charlotte’s ongoing growth, construction has been a steady Charlotte employment sector. The city’s striking skyline is currently disrupted by construction cranes that are ushering in a new era of progress in the region. There are about twenty skyscrapers under construction, if they haven’t already been completed by the time you read this, and the center city and uptown areas of Charlotte have new museums, mixed-use dining and retail developments, and hotels under construction.
JobsCharlotte.com is a great resource for anyone looking for Charlotte employment opportunities. Here you can find listings of Charlotte Employment Placement Services, Charlotte Temporary Employment Agencies and Career and Vocational Counseling services in the Charlotte region.
Another great aspect of JobsCharlotte.com is the fact that each employment agency – ranging from Integra Staffing LLC, Appleone, Careerwise Inc., McKinney Personnel Inc., Manpower, Signature Consultants, Robert Half Finance and Accounting, On Assignment Healthcare Staffing and Venturi Staffing Partners – is rated and reviewed by local people that used these services to find Charlotte employment and share their experiences with the online community.
In addition to Charlotte employment opportunities, there are many other aspects of this region that appeal to people looking to relocate. CNNMoney.com, ranking cities based on lifestyle and entrepreneurial opportunities, ranked Charlotte 8th out of 100 U.S. cities in a listing of the “Best Places To Live And Launch.”
Charlotte has many amenities that make it an appealing place to live and work. The region possesses an ambiance that is Southern but uniquely its own. There are many cultural attractions, colorful and vibrant cityscapes and a character that is best described as down home meets cosmopolitan. Charlotte employment opportunities are typically what initially intrigue people about the Queen City, but it is the overall quality of life that keeps them around and makes them proud to call Charlotte their home.
For those of you seeking Charlotte employment but concerned about schooling for your children, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has done significant work in recent years to become the leading urban educational system in the country. Many national education experts have praised Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for having one of the absolute best educational systems in America. Newsweek Magazine ranked four CMS high schools in the country’s Top 100. CMS schools also have more students participating in Advanced Placement Courses than many whole states.
Charlotte is also home to the University of North Carolina and noted private educational facilities and public libraries.
The median household income in Charlotte is $48,670 with a $59,452 median income for families. Real estate is reasonably priced, according to City-Date.com, with 2007 median house or condo values being $175,600 and the median gross monthly rent being $786. 2007 demographics from the American Community Survey indicated that 57.4% of the population is Caucasian, 34.9% are African American, 10.6% Hispanic/Latino, 4.4% Asian and 1.0% American Indian or Alaskan.
The region’s mass transit system is comprised of historical trolleys, light rail transit, express shuttle buses, and regular bus service that serves Charlotte and the immediate suburbs.
All in all, aside from Charlotte employment opportunities, Charlotte is welcoming with many attractions to appeal to young and old alike. The city was ranked as the fourth best walking city in the United States and finished in the top five U.S. cities with outdoor appeal by Self Magazine. Whether it’s exploring the elegant Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden orchids, taking on the roller coasters at Carowinds, attending the Belk Theatre for Broadway show tunes, romantic carriage rides through neighborhoods rich in history, or fun engaging festivals, there is no shortage of things to do in Charlotte.
Charlotte may have built its reputation as the hub of the banking industry, however, a city this busy, with this much activity and continuing growth, needs workers. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to move up in the financial sector, work construction, educate children, manage a hotel, wait tables, work in the arts, start your own company, or if you’re a motor sports fanatic that wants to be closer to the action. Charlotte is rich with culture and activity and Charlotte employment opportunities are plentiful.
