It’s no secret that despite officials saying the recession ended in 2009, economic times haven’t exactly been all sun-shine and roses. So it’s always good to get a bit of positive news when it comes to jobs in Fayetteville.

Fayetteville is one of just 54 metropolitan areas in the United States to have its employment level higher than it was before the recession began in 2007, according to Garner Economics, based on the latest data released from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“This is an incredibly positive sign for our community,” said Doug Peters, President and CEO of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously, we have a long way to go before things will seem like they were before the recession again. But it’s a good feeling that we are in a community that is providing opportunities for our citizens to work.”

According to the data, Fayetteville has approximately 1,900 more jobs as of November 2011 than it did in November of 2007. That’s an improvement of 1.5 percent. While that may not sound like much, it’s the best in the state of North Carolina. Jacksonville maintained the same level over that period. All other markets lost jobs. The national average was around 0.7 percent.

The statistics show that 54 metros have exceeded their pre-recession totals, eight have stayed the same and 310 are still below those numbers. Fayetteville is among just 34 metros to have exceeded pre-recession numbers in the first 11 months of 2011.

“As we see our community work together more and more, we’ll see these numbers continue to rise,” Peters said. “The lower numbers in other communities around our state show just how hard we are going to have to continue working.” While there are still hundreds of metros that have not returned to their pre-recession numbers, things are actually looking up in most areas. The latest data shows that 239 of 372 metros have greater employment, or the same numbers, as they did just one year earlier, according to Garner Economics. The report issued by Garner said this is the 17th consecutive month where more metros added jobs than lost jobs.

Military markets nationwide tended to be on the more positive side of the trends. Of the group of 34 that exceed-ed their pre-recession numbers every month in 2011, five of them were Military communities.

The Chamber of Commerce has recently partnered with Garner Economics to develop an economic development strategy for the community.

NORTH CAROLINA NUMBERS

Asheville                                               -5.3%     (9,400 loss)

Burlington                                            -9.2%     (5,700 loss)

Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill        -8.2%     (72,400 loss)

Durham-Chapel Hill                           -2.8%     (8,100 loss)

Fayetteville                           +1.5%    (1,900 gain)

Goldsboro                                             -6.2%     (2,800 loss)

Greensboro-High Point                    -7.8%     (29,200 loss)

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton            -13.4%   (21,900 loss)

Jacksonville                                          0.0%       –

Raleigh-Cary                                        -2.9%     (15,100 loss)

Rocky Mount                                       -8.2%     (5,400 loss)

Wilmington                                          -8.8%     (13,000 loss)

January 19, 2012

Contact: Brandon Plotnick, Coordinator, Marketing & Communications

(910) 433-6766 ; bplotnick@fayettevillencchamberlorg