After reaching a peak unemployment rate of 17 percent following the Great Recession, Edgecombe County, North Carolina, still has a persistently high unemployment rate compared to the statewide figure. Its economy and workforce are lagging behind the state in other ways as well: Edgecombe County residents earn less, are more likely to be poor or struggling, and are more likely to be trapped in low-quality jobs. Workforce development policies at the federal, state, and local levels are largely focused on connecting job-seekers to jobs through education or training, but often fail to address other barriers to employment. Compounding this issue is the fact that most workforce development initiatives — especially for the broader population of job-seekers and not just the “hard to employ” — are designed based on data collected by third parties. Rarely are job-seekers asked what barriers they face.
In an effort to improve employment outcomes in Edgecombe County, the county manager, in partnership with the Turning Point Workforce Development Board, and with a grant from the NC Department of Commerce, contracted with the UNC School of Government and NCGrowth to conduct a study of supply-side labor barriers. Specifically, the UNC research team was tasked with the following research questions:
This report summarizes data collected through surveys and interviews with job-seekers on their perceptions of the barriers they face trying to obtain or keep a job, in addition to information about their past employment and job search experiences. It concludes with a set of recommendations for Edgecombe County leadership to address the unique challenges faced by job seekers in their region.
