ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) \u2014 For many workers throughout Western North Carolina, Hurricane Helene didn’t just flood roads and homes; it washed away their jobs. A new report examines how the storm impacted the region’s labor market.<\/p>\n
A report from the North Carolina Department of Commerce<\/a><\/strong> details sudden job losses throughout the region, spiking unemployment in storm-affected counties.<\/p>\n The Department of Commerce report includes data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) for the second quarter following the storm, which provides a picture of Helene’s repercussions on the job industry and what recovery has occurred since. <\/p>\n MOST WNC SMALL BUSINESSES ARE STILL STRUGGLING AFTER HELENE, NEW SURVEY SAYS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Data shows that before the storm, Western North Carolina accounted for nearly 14% of the state’s workforce, with approximately 667,000 of the state’s 4.9 million jobs. Buncombe County provided the most jobs, followed by Catawba and Gaston counties, the report says.<\/p>\n After Helene swept through the region on Sept. 27, 2024, the “total employment across all industries in Western North Carolina decreased by nearly 19,000 jobs, representing a 2.8% decline,” the report states.<\/p>\n Buncombe County took on the largest loss, with nearly 13,000 jobs gone, a 9.3% decrease, data shows. Avery County saw the sharpest percentage decline, with employment falling 13.5%, the report says. Mitchell County and Yancey County also experienced a substantial employment decline, at 6.5% and 11.4%, respectively.<\/p>\n