Simple 2025 resolution for Burke officials: JOBS
Instead of making a New Year’s resolution such as losing weight or eating more fiber, many people simply choose to pick a word, a theme if you will, from which they will shape the course of the next 12 months. Words like balance, gratitude, and simplify.
While the new year is still in its infancy, we suggest the leadership in the county and its municipalities focus on this four-letter word: J-O-B-S.
The evidence shows we either don’t have enough jobs or the right jobs for our residents.
Twice as many Burke County residents — 19,000 — leave our borders to earn their paychecks. In contrast, only 9,000 live and work here.
Our county loses on a number of levels. When residents travel to Catawba or Buncombe (or wherever), local businesses in those counties benefit — restaurants profit from their lunch breaks, gas stations gain when they fill up before heading home, and grocery stores often become a convenient stop before returning to Burke County.
The county is fortunate to have a few economic powerhouses. Our story on 6A is an example. Foothills Regional Airport, which straddles the Burke/Caldwell border, contributes $25 million in economic development and supports 125 jobs, according to data released this month in the N.C. Division of Aviation’s State of Aviation 2025 biennial report. Hickory Regional Airport, which straddles the Burke/Catawba border, supports 335 jobs and generates $66 million in output.
The county must continue to leverage the strategic location of our airports to enhance its role in attracting businesses and fostering economic activity within Burke.
Tourism also brings in big bucks to the area. In 2023, visitors to our county brought in more than $137 million, spending those dollars on lodging, food and beverages, transportation, shopping, and other activities. For tourism to fully realize its economic potential, we need targeted investments in workforce training and higher-wage opportunities within the tourism sector.
Health care and education — key components of our economy — also reveal the need for greater investment. While UNC Health Blue Ridge is a significant employer (No. 3 in the county), the health care industry struggles with staffing shortages and increasing demands on its services.
Despite being past the heyday of furniture making, manufacturing is still the county’s largest industry sector. In fact, it represents more than one-quarter of all our jobs. Among the Top 10 employers in the county are Case Farms, Valdese Weavers, and Leviton. (Five in that list are public employers such as the school district, county government, and City of Morganton.) Other manufacturers in the Top 25 county employers include Continental, Molded Fiber Glass, Seiren, Bimbo Bakeries, Kontane Logistics, Kimble Glass, and Unix Packaging.
It’s not enough.
The lack of career opportunities is evident in our labor force participation rate, which hovers at 53.6% and is below the 2024 national average of 62.6%, and the state average at 60.4%. We also sadly rank near the bottom of the state’s 100 counties in the number of adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who are neither working nor going to school (not even part time).
Many of our residents are struggling to meet basic needs.
One of the most pressing issues is the need for jobs that pay a living wage. The average weekly wage in Burke County is $915, well below the state average of $1,297. No wonder one in five are considered housing cost-burdened, spending 30% or more of their income on housing. The state’s Budget & Tax Center estimates that the richest 5% of households in Burke County make an average of 24 times more than the poorest 20% of households.
We need intentional effort to address inequities and create sustainable growth.
Local governments and organizations must prioritize attracting industries that offer career pathways that lead to economic mobility. Addressing these gaps will require collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to ensuring that all residents can share in the county’s prosperity — an all-hands-on-deck approach similar to the November gathering of local, regional, and state leaders in Morganton to brainstorm hurricane recovery solutions.
Burke County has the potential to be a place where opportunity is not just a promise but a reality for all. We’ll first need to confront the challenges that hold us back and invest in solutions that create meaningful change for future generations.
