A Stronger Economy for North Carolina: Governor Cooper Celebrates North Carolina’s Strong Workforce and 640,000 New Jobs During His Administration

RALEIGH

Dec 12, 2024

Today, Governor Roy Cooper spoke at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) Board of Directors meeting where he highlighted the state's strong economy during his Administration. These remarks were part of a series of events highlighting the Governor's major accomplishments and progress made for North Carolina during his time in office.

"With our skilled and diverse workforce and strong economy, it's clear that North Carolina is the best state to do business, and companies around the world know it," said Governor Cooper. "By investing in our workers and ensuring they have the skills they need to compete, we've been able to build a stronger North Carolina where people have more money in the pockets."

"Governor Cooper and I talk to many CEOs about growing their business in North Carolina, and those conversations always focus on the availability and size of our state's workforce," said Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. "With Governor Cooper's leadership, we focused the state's 'First in Talent' strategic plan for economic development around this issue, and we're now enjoying the fruits of this investment in North Carolina's workforce development and training systems, as more jobs are created and more companies decide to locate and expand in our state."

"Thanks to Governor Cooper's strong leadership along with the collaboration between the EDPNC and other public and private partnerships, companies have the tools they need to succeed in our state," said Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Board of Directors Chairman Gene McLaurin. "The Governor's economic achievements have set North Carolina up for success for years to come."

The Governor thanked the EDPNC Board, North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Sanders and other economic development partners for making North Carolina a national leader in business, including the following achievements.

NAMED CNBC'S TOP STATE FOR BUSINESS TWO YEARS IN A ROW

Under Governor Cooper's leadership, North Carolina has grown its economy at record-breaking levels and brought home good-paying jobs in everything from advanced manufacturing to clean energy. In 2022 and 2023, North Carolina was named America's Top State for Business by CNBC. North Carolina finished 2^nd in 2024 and has ranked in the top three for the last five years.

ADDED MORE THAN 640,000 GOOD-PAYING JOBS IN BIG CITIES AND SMALL TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE

Since Governor Cooper took office in 2017, North Carolina has added more than 640,000 good-paying jobs and billions of dollars in investments across the state. North Carolina continues to recruit good-paying jobs in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and technology industries already thriving in the rural and urban parts of the state.

Major jobs announcements during this period include:

• Toyota - 5,100 jobs and $13.9 billion in investment
• Apple - 3,000 jobs and $1 billion in investment
• FUJIFILM Diosynth - 1,405 jobs and $3.2 billion in investment
• Novo Nordisk - 1,000 jobs and $4.1 billion in investment
• Eli Lilly - 1,051 jobs and $1.4 billion in investment
• Wolfspeed - 1,802 jobs and $5 billion in investment
• Boom Supersonic - 1,750 jobs and $500 million in investment
• Natron Energy - 1,062 jobs and $1.39 billion in investment
• Boviet Solar - 908 jobs and $294 million in investment

ADVANCED THE CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

North Carolina is the epicenter of the clean energy economy. Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 80 in 2018 which created the North Carolina Clean Energy Plan and laid the groundwork for the state to transition toward a clean energy future, creating good-paying jobs in the process.

North Carolina has announced major clean energy jobs announcements from companies including Wolfspeed, Toyota, Boom Supersonic, Siemens Energy, Kempower and Natron resulting in thousands of good-paying clean energy jobs.

INVESTED IN NORTH CAROLINA'S HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES

Diversity is North Carolina's strength. North Carolina's historically underutilized businesses are critical to the state's economy and success. Since 2017, the number of Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) that are certified to provide goods and services to state and local government agencies has more than doubled. To date, there are over 7,100 certified HUB firms.

Since 2017, HUB firms have been awarded over 20% of total funds spent on state building construction projects. A total of nearly $3.9 billion dollars has been spent with HUBs on goods and services and over $1.5 billion dollars has been spent with HUBs on building construction projects over the past eight years.

Minority and women-owned businesses were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and needed support to help recover. In October 2020, Governor Cooper launched the RETOOLNC program to help those businesses bounce back. More than $40 million in grants were distributed to more than 2,200 eligible minority and women-owned businesses.

In June 2020, Governor Cooper established the Andrea Harris Equity Task Force to identify best practices to help create economic stability in disadvantaged communities. The Task Force established 21 policy recommendations across the five core areas of health care, business development, education, environmental justice and inclusion and engagement.

SPEARHEADED EFFORTS TO EXPAND BROADBAND ACCESS FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND SMALL BUSINESSES

Access to high-speed internet is critical for people to work, learn and connect with one another. Governor Cooper has made addressing the digital divide a priority, including issuing an Executive Order to create the Governor's Task Force on Connecting North Carolina to increase internet access.

Across the state, more than 139,500 households and businesses in 91 counties will get high-speed internet thanks to $345 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants.

TRAINED STUDENTS TO TAKE ON THE JOBS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW

Throughout his terms, Governor Cooper has made investing in community colleges a priority. Community colleges are North Carolina's not-so-secret weapon to building a strong workforce.

The Governor directed $20 million in federal funding to create Workforce Resilience Grants for eligible community college students pursuing high-demand workforce training programs within ten workforce pathways leading to a state or industry recognized credential, including in advanced manufacturing, automotive, IT, construction and education. To date, more than 22,500 students across the state have received Workforce Resilience Grants.

Governor Cooper announced a $23.7 million investment to create STEPs4GROWTH, a clean energy workforce training program at NC A&T that will start in high school and continue through college.

Governor Cooper announced that North Carolina was selected as a partner in the EVeryone Charging Forward program, receiving $1.6 million in EV career pathway funding.

MADE HIGHER EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Governor Cooper launched the Longleaf Commitment program, a $25.5 million investment to guarantee that 2021 graduating high school seniors from low- and middle-income families received at least $2,800 in federal and state grants to cover tuition and most fees at any of the state's 58 community colleges. In November 2021, the Governor signed the bipartisan state budget into law which expanded the Longleaf Commitment Program to include 2022 high school graduates.

To date, more than 27,400 students have received a Longleaf Commitment Grant totaling over $25.5 million. 77% of the grants have gone to students with family incomes less than $60,000.

HELPED COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS STAY ON TRACK TO COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE

Governor Cooper is focused on ensuring more people can finish their training and get a good-paying job to support themselves and their families. Many students cite challenges other than academic reasons for not finishing school. The Governor launched the Finish Line Grants program to help community college students who face unforeseen financial emergencies complete their training.

More than $7.5 million in Finish Line Grants have helped over 16,000 community college students complete their training and prepare to enter the workforce.

A car repair shouldn't determine your future. Finish Line Grants help students pay for course materials, housing, medical needs, dependent care, or other financial emergencies that students may face through no fault of their own.

INVESTED $805 MILLION IN EARLY CARE AND LEARNING CHILD CARE CENTERS SO EMPLOYERS CAN HAVE A STABLE WORKFORCE

High-quality early childhood education is a triple play - it helps children learn and grow, so parents can go to work and employers can have a stable workforce. Governor Cooper announced a historic investment in North Carolina's early care and learning child care programs to keep child care centers open and improve early childhood teacher pay. A total of $1.1 billion in child care stabilization grants has gone to child care programs in 99 counties across North Carolina. North Carolina Child Care Stabilization Grants helped early care and learning programs with recruitment and retention and promoted equity for children, parents and teachers. More funding is needed in the coming years to keep these essential businesses operating.

PROVIDED PAID PARENTAL LEAVE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES TO HELP REDUCE GENDER INEQUALITY AND RETAIN A STRONG WORKFORCE

Paid parental leave benefits families and the economy. Governor Cooper issued Executive Order No. 95 to extend paid parental leave to state employees to provide them with more time to recover from childbirth and give their newborns the care and attention they need. Other state agencies, the University of North Carolina System and the Community College system used this template for their own paid parental leave policies. Ultimately, the legislature followed Governor Cooper's model to extend paid parental leave to K-12 public school teachers.

CREATED A CHILD CARE SPECIALIST ROLE AT THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

The Governor also created the first Child Care Business Liaison position at the North Carolina Department of Commerce to ensure North Carolinians have access to quality child care, sets children up for success while allowing parents to fully participate in the workforce.

View the Governor's remarks as prepared.

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Jordan Monaghan

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(919) 814-2100