NC trails half the country in high-tech jobs

Even with a base of high-tech companies in the state and a lot of effort to attract new companies to the region North Carolina continues to fall behind and ranks 26th in its effort to move toward being a knowledge-based economy according to a new report. With all the effort to provide costly incentives to new companies the trend is declining rather than improving.

A February 28, 2007, news release describes on the state's lagging trend...

News and Observer
February 28, 2007
Johnathan B. Cox - Staff Writer

Knowledge and Innovation

The Triangle has high-tech jobs, big companies and successful entrepreneurs. But it is unusual in the state. Many areas in North Carolina have been defined by manufacturing and are struggling to move forward as traditional industries and employers continue to disappear. A new report, the State New Economy Index, shows that North Carolina is behind in its evolution.

Despite the state's efforts in recent years to build an economy based on technology and innovation, North Carolina's progress still trails half the country's, according to a report released Tuesday.

Of the 50 states, North Carolina ranked 26th for its evolution from a manufacturing economy to one based on knowledge-based jobs and entrepreneurship, according to the 2007 State New Economy Index.

North Carolina fell below its revised 2002 ranking of 24th place. The state was 26th the last time the report was published five years ago; the revised statistic considers differences in methodology to aid comparisons. Read more...