Hurricane Helene, which struck the Southeastern United States in September 2024, has had a significant impact on Western North Carolina’s labor market. The storm caused an estimated $59.6 billion in damage across North Carolina, making it one of the most expensive hurricanes in recent memory. A disaster declaration from FEMA (FEMA-4827-DR) covered 39 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Before the hurricane, the 26 ‘Permanent Work’ counties in Western North Carolina accounted for about 14% of jobs in the state, with roughly 667,000 positions out of a total 4.9 million statewide. Buncombe County had the highest number of jobs at 138,000, followed by Catawba County with 90,000 and Gaston County with 80,000.
The area’s employment was concentrated in sectors such as Education and Health Services; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities; Manufacturing; and Leisure and Hospitality. These industries made up two-thirds of all jobs in the region.
After Hurricane Helene hit, employment data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages showed that nearly 19,000 jobs were lost across all industries in Western North Carolina between September and October 2024—a decline of about 2.8%. Buncombe County experienced almost 13,000 job losses (a drop of 9.3%). Avery County saw a sharper percentage decrease at 13.5%, while Mitchell and Yancey Counties also reported notable declines.
Leisure and Hospitality was affected most severely with a loss of about 14,000 jobs or a decline of over 15%. Manufacturing fell by about 1.6%, while Other Services dropped by nearly 5%. Not all sectors declined; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added close to 3,000 jobs during this period while Education and Health Services increased by around 2,000 positions.
Although there was a rebound after these losses, job levels have not fully recovered to those seen before the hurricane or compared to previous years. The report notes that employment began stabilizing after an initial sharp drop following Helene’s landfall.
The analysis highlights that further monitoring will be needed as more data becomes available to understand long-term recovery trends in Western North Carolina’s economy.
