New data show wage increases in several North Carolina counties WSOC TV [Video]

CHARLOTTE — New economic data show wages are going up in several counties in our area over the past year. This could be good news for retailers who depend heavily on the holiday shopping season.

After decades of fairly stagnant wage growth, wages jumped when the pandemic hit but dropped off as the country recovered.

They’ve been steadily but slowly increasing since mid-2022. This is good news not only for workers but also for retailers.

“We have seen a steady business. A steady flow of people coming in, and kind of more anxious to spend this Christmas than it feels like the last Christmases, where it was a little tighter,” said jewelry store worker Brittany Holden.

The new federal data show wages in the second quarter of the year were up around 5% in both North and South Carolina over the same period last year, putting both states in the …