The outlook for 2013 in North Carolina’s construction industry:
30 percent of respondents said they plan to add workers in 2013, while only 8 percent said they expect more layoffs.
Of firms with hiring plans, 56 percent said they’d be adding five or fewer workers to their payrolls in the coming year.
34 percent of North Carolina construction firms reported they didn’t purchase any new equipment in 2012, and 47 percent say they don’t plan to buy any in 2013.
63 percent reported they faced higher employee health care costs in 2012.
Expecting this industry to recover and thrive without changes in state policy is naive. It doesn’t have to be this way. With a new course, we can put North Carolinians back to work.