With the increase in gas costs, I think it *is* important to look at individual markets. From what I understand, Durham seems to be the place to be - they are building houses again, the employment numbers look good, etc. However, commuting from Raleigh to Durham now costs much more than it did, so people in Raleigh may be less likely to try and find a job in Durham.

I wonder what kinds of employers *do* plan to hire new employees. Retail and fast food? Pharmaceutical? Business? Those kinds of determinations make a big difference in whether the economy is looking up. How much will the new employees *add* to the payroll numbers?

This was based on the Manpower survey Raleigh press release. But there’s a separate press release for Durham, with the headline “Healthy Job market expected for Durham.”

How can that be? Isn’t it really all one job market? Most of the Research Triangle Park is located in Durham, but judging from the traffic on I-40, Raleigh residents have no problem finding jobs there. We really need to look at the economic picture for the entire Triangle region, and not focus on specific counties.

According to the press release, 4% of companies surveyed in Raleigh plan to hire more employees, while 19% are looking to reduce payroll. But 33% of companies in Durham are planning to hire more employees, and only 7% expect to reduce their payrolls. So what does that tell us about the jobs outlook in our area? Not much.

www.triangle-economy.com