Alex Campbell
Posts by Alex Campbell
Public dollars, private data centers: Why North Carolina needs transparency
Tech giants like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have invested billions of dollars into hyperscale data centers. These data centers are highly extractive — occupying hundreds of acres of land, using millions of gallons of water per day, enough electricity to power small cities, and generating air pollution, noise, and disruptive vibrations. Meanwhile, these highly…
2026 Economic County Snapshots for North Carolina
The Economic County Snapshots are one of the NC Budget & Tax Center’s flagship annual publications. They provide key economic and social indicators from publicly available sources for all 100 counties in North Carolina, along with a comparison to state-level data, with measures for employment, poverty and income, affordable housing, health, education, and more. The…
A Tale of Unmet Needs and Broken Systems: Helene Recovery After 18 Months
A year and a half ago, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, marking the costliest storm that has ever hit NC and the deadliest storm in the contiguous U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. Although the region has now transitioned to the long-term recovery phase, many of the same human needs that went neglected in the early months following Helene remain unmet as a result of bad policy choices and broken disaster recovery…
NC’s labor market continues to weaken. Bad policy choices are to blame.
If you would like to access our general NC Labor Market page, “Work, Wages, and Well-Being,” click here. North Carolina’s headline unemployment rate remains strong at 3.9 percent, sitting below the national unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. Although the US and NC unemployment rates have been increasing from the lows in mid-2023, the increase remains gradual and controlled. However, numbers like these don’t tell…
Inflation Reduction Act: A Lost Opportunity to Advance Environmental Justice in NC
No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all need the freedom to drink clean water, breathe safe air, and live in healthy communities. To that end, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 marked a historic investment to advance a variety of climate and energy goals, including: Accelerating the transition…
Ahead of the NC Chamber’s Economic Forecast Forum: 5 Things to Know About North Carolina’s Economy in 2026
As business and policy leaders gather Monday at the NC Chamber and North Carolina Bankers Association’s 24th Annual Economic Forecast Forum to discuss growth and competitiveness, it’s important to ground the conversation in how the economy is actually working for people across the state – and what risks lie ahead. Here are five things to know about…
Investing in our colleges is investing in North Carolinians
All people deserve the opportunity to thrive. This means having the chance to develop one’s talents and skills and find meaningful and fulfilling work that pays a living wage. To make this a reality, we need well-funded systems in place that allow everyone, regardless of their gender, race, or class, the opportunity to improve their…
No more tax cuts: Western North Carolinians deserve a budget that prioritizes people
It’s been one year since Hurricane Helene first hit Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024. With so many recovery needs still yet to be addressed and so little help from the federal government, it’s time for the state legislature to pass a budget that prioritizes people and stops cutting taxes. Helene caused an immense…
New labor market page shows why NC’s economy isn’t working for everyone
Every day, North Carolinians contribute their collective labor to keep our communities functioning and thriving. At the NC Budget & Tax Center, we believe that everyone — no matter what they look like or where they are born — should be able to find fulfilling work that allows them to meet their basic needs and…
Public Comments: NC CDBG-DR State Action Plan
The NC Budget & Tax Center believes that no matter who someone is or where they live, when disaster strikes our government should have the resources, tools, and systems in place to quickly respond and help families, businesses and communities recover. While there are a variety of federal departments, agencies, and programs involved in disaster…