RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – On the one hand, the labor market continues to outperform expectations.  Take the national jobs report data from October released at the beginning of this month, for example.

But on the other hand, even with a strong North Carolina labor market, there are signs that economic conditions have worsened in the most recent months, according to data compiled for WRAL TechWire’s weekly jobs report.

So what are we to make of this labor market, and what should we expect?  

First, said Dr. Gerald Cohen, the chief economist at the Kenan Institute, in an interview with WRAL TechWire on Monday, the demand for labor is likely to remain high. 

“Aside from the high frequency job posting data, there are not many signs of cracks,” said Cohen.  “Tech employment continued to grow in October, and actually job creation accelerated vs the previous three months.” 

A report released last week showed that the state added technology jobs at the fourth-fastest rate of any state in the nation. 

NC adds tech jobs & businesses at one of fastest rates in US, report shows

On the other hand…

But consider this: statewide, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has increased each month starting in July. 

“Similarly, other key measures of labor utilization have worsened slightly since the summer,” said John Quinterno, a professor at Duke University.  “Conditions still remain particularly strong in the greater Triangle region, but eventually national and statewide conditions will work their way into the local economy.”

And while companies and organizations may be in need of talented workers, so much so that some corporations as well as state and local governments are offering sign-on bonuses and retention incentives, there may still be uncertainty about the future direction of the national economy.  That could lead some firms to pause or slow hiring, or lead to layoffs, as notable large technology companies have announced this month.

But the path forward for 2023 may depend on what happens during the next few weeks.  That’s because the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee is set to meet on December 13-14, following the release of employment situation data for the month of November by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. 

“Continued interest rate increases, even if done at a slower pace than has been the case so far, will put additional pressure on the labor market,” said Quinterno.  “Higher joblessness likely will slow the economy while uncertainty about job security may lead other people to be more cautious in their spending—a dynamic likely enhanced by concern over rising prices.”

Looking for a job? Here’s who is hiring in Triangle – but postings are falling

Where’s the job market heading?

The latest analysis of regional data shows that the number of job openings decreased from last week on 14 of the 20 job board searches tracked by WRAL TechWire, with the aggregate total falling by more than 8,500 job postings, or a drop of nearly 2.5% week-over-week.

And the number of job openings again dipped below 330,000 in the aggregate, according to the report, which was compiled on Monday morning.  However, as the Thanksgiving Holiday fell last week, job postings may have slowed during the week leading up to the holiday.

Still, there are now 329,837 job openings in the Triangle, at the time the data was compiled for the WRAL TechWire Jobs Report. 

That’s a stark reversal from three weeks ago, when job openings ticked upwards significantly and totaled more than 350,000 openings.

And, overall, the total aggregate number of job openings in the Triangle has fallen month-over-month, with an increase of more than 1,560 job openings, or an increase of 0.48% compared to a month ago.

Last month, there were 328,275 postings across all 20 job board searches, the lowest total aggregate since WRAL TechWire began to track this metric in June 2022.

But, even with the month-over-month gains, 11 of the 20 job boards tracked in the most recent report show a month-over-month decrease in the number of job openings.

 

Note: WRAL TechWire’s weekly Jobs Report compiles the latest information from the region’s top job boards, offering a breakdown of how many jobs are posted, which companies are hiring, and what positions are most in-demand. Here’s more from WRAL TechWire on the latest changes in the labor markets in our local economy.  Below, we’ve gathered the latest upcoming job fairs, student-centric resources, and a list of Twitter accounts that track local job openings.  Here’s what’s new since the last WRAL TechWire Jobs Report. 

The data on Triangle jobs

Each week, WRAL TechWire tracks the total number of Triangle-area positions posted on major job websites, across 20 different searches. Here is the latest data, as of Monday morning.  We use the shorthand abbreviation “MoM” for month-over-month and “YTD” for year-to-date in our report.  This week’s report also includes tracking the month-over-month gains as a percentage increase or decrease in the total number of postings measured by WRAL TechWire and the change in opening from the beginning of the year.

 

Methodology on measuring Triangle job market

Editor’s Notes: The month-over-month totals are compared to our October 31 jobs report, and the year-to-date totals compare to our Jan. 3 report.  **We’ve also updated the methodology for which we track Johnston County job openings on LinkedIn, twice now, in July and in August, as the platform updated how jobs display, and in today’s report return to month-over-month comparisons.  *And, the year-to-date data for Johnston County tracks from Jan. 31, 2022, when we began to track job postings in the county for the WRAL TechWire Jobs Report.   

Fighting worker shortage, Wake, Raleigh & N.C. offer bonuses, other perks

Weekly Startup Jobs Report

The job market may be slowing.  It’s certainly slowing in the startup job market, according to the latest data compiled for this week’s WRAL TechWire Jobs Report.

On all 15 job searches tracked for the report, there are week-over-week decreases in the number of openings, with a drop of nearly 4%.

“I’m not surprised we are seeing slowing in startup activity,” said Cohen.  “The declines in financial markets and rise in interest rates are likely driving a slowdown in funding for startups; and thus willingness for entrepreneurs to start new firms.”

For those interested in the entrepreneurial economy, job seekers can also find local startup positions at these job boards and websites:

  • SimplyHired (163 startup jobs near Research Triangle Park)
  • LinkedIn (10,314 job openings that include “startup” in the Triangle region, down 365 jobs openings or about 3.4% from a week ago)
  • Indeed (194 startup jobs in/near RTP)
  • AngelList, which is now known as wellfound: (22 job openings in Raleigh, 4 in Durham and 62 total across North Carolina)
  • Durham-based job site InHerSight also lists jobs at local startups among other job postings (211 openings this week, down 3 roles from last week)

Here’s a look at local and regional job sites, listed in alphabetical order, below.

AMA Triangle

AMA Triangle, the fifth-largest chapter in American Marketing Association’s nationwide network, aims to be a go-to resource for all things marketing in the Triangle. The organization provides professional training, free career webinars and a job board offering free resume placement for marketing professionals.

As of Monday, the AMA Triangle job board shows 45 roles close to Raleigh and another 45 roles, some of which overlap, close to Durham.

American Underground

Durham-based startup hub American Underground (Editor’s Note: American Underground is owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company, the parent company of WRAL TechWire) regularly posts job openings on its job board. Job seekers can filter their search by company, location and job function. As of Monday, the site shows 118 jobs, down 15 openings from last week.

Bio Jobs Hub

Last year, WRAL TechWire and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center launched a Bio Jobs Hub platform focused on biopharma manufacturing — one of North Carolina’s largest industries, employing over 26,000 people.

Typical biopharma jobs include process technicians, maintenance and/or instrumentation technicians, quality assurance and quality control associates, process development scientists and process engineers. This industry also offers competitive entry-level salaries, from $42,000 to $60,000. Scientists, skilled laborers and recent graduates can use the Bio Jobs Hub resource to find career and training opportunities in their area. Users can search by location, job category/activity and region.

Many biopharma companies are hiring in the Triangle.

Leadership Triangle

Leadership Triangle’s job board is full of job opportunities, including from small, mid-size, and large employers. The site lists 1,346 job openings this week, down 23 open roles from a week ago.

NCBiotech

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s extensive jobs board lists open jobs and internships from local life science companies and research organizations. The organization recently updated the user interface with a fresh design. Job seekers can filter their search results by position title, job function and location. NCBiotech also touts jobs through its Bio Jobs Hub program.

The site lists 157 job openings as of Monday, down 10 roles from a week ago and down 24 positions compared to last month.  (Editor’s Note: This list does not include openings posted by recruiting/staffing firms.)

NC TECH

The North Carolina Technology Association (NC TECH) has an interactive job board that you can use to find your next career opportunity. Users can search by keyword, location, category, type (full-time or part-time) and experience level.

Raleigh Founded

Raleigh Founded, a startup incubator and coworking space that celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, has its own job board.  Job seekers can filter results by company, company size, industry and job function.  The site currently lists 58 positions.

Triangle Region Job Board

Leadership Triangle, Raleigh Founded and American Underground teamed up to create the Triangle Region Job Board, which synthesizes all of the openings posted on the organizations’ job boards.

As of Monday, the site shows 2,159 job openings.  That’s down 287 job openings compared to a week ago and the job board remains down 540 open positions compared to a month ago.

Work in the Triangle

Work in the Triangle, a Wake County Economic Development program, regularly shares new openings through its Twitter feed, @WorkTriangleNC.  The program launched a job board on its website earlier this year, with 7,806 active job listings.  Last week, there were 7,988 job openings. Compared to a month ago, there are now 490 more job openings.

Every Tuesday, Work in the Triangle’s #TriangleTuesdays hashtag lists hot jobs in the area.  Scroll through the #TriangleTuesdays hashtag on Twitter today for more details on the latest openings.  

 

Where are the jobs in the Triangle?

  • Amazon: 10 job openings in the Triangle, though some roles can be done remotely, according to the company’s career page.  That’s down 49 openings from a month ago, with the company announcing in November that it would pause hiring new corporate roles until 2023 and reported layoffs at the company. In addition, Amazon is closing multiple North Carolina facilities, though a company spokesperson told WRAL TechWire that Amazon was not laying off any workers as those facilities close.  Workers at an Amazon facility in Garner continue efforts to unionize including speaking with other Amazon workers in the state.
  • Apple (corporate roles): 40 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page, down 12 roles from a month ago.  The company put in place a hiring freeze for corporate roles, WRAL TechWire reported earlier this year. 
  • Bandwidth: 35 job openings in Raleigh, according to the company’s career page.  The company will require its employees to work in-person five days per week, WRAL TechWire reported earlier this year.
  • BASF: 32 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina: 50 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • BD: 19 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • Cisco: 182 job openings in Research Triangle Park, according to the company’s career page, even as the company announced it would make job cuts last week
  • Citrix: Citrix is updating their job portal website, according to the company.  No data was available for this week, but there were 23 job openings in Raleigh at the end of October, according to a prior WRAL TechWire Jobs Report.
  • Credit Suisse: 68 job openings in the Triangle, 16 more than a month ago
  • Duke Energy: 9 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page, same as last week
  • Eaton: 79 job openings in Raleigh, according to the company’s career page.  Earlier this year, the company announced plans to hire about 170 workers who will be based in the company’s revamped Raleigh office.
  • Eli Lilly: 35 job openings in Research Triangle Park, according to the company’s career page, same as last week
  • Fidelity Investments: 594 job openings in Durham, according to the company’s career page.  That’s down 32 roles compared to a month ago.  The financial firm continues to hire, WRAL TechWire reported in November.
  • FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies: 29 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • Google: 247 job openings in Durham, according to the company’s career page, down from 313 openings three weeks ago.  The company is making cuts in some areas of the company but is expected to continue to hire for the Durham engineering hub, WRAL TechWire reported earlier this year.  The company is hiring the same number of positions as it was a month ago. 
  • Grifols: 131 job openings in North Carolina, including in Durham and Clayton, according to the company’s career page
  • GlaxoSmithKline: 184 job openings in Durham, according to the company’s career page, 77 more openings than last week and 71 more than a month ago
  • IBM: 5 job openings in RTP, according to the company’s career page, the same as last week.  The company said it would continue to hire in August.
  • IQVIA: 331 job openings in RTP, according to the company’s career page, down 32 openings compared to a month ago
  • Kyndryl: 49 job openings in RTP, according to the company’s career page, down 29 jobs from a month ago
  • Labcorp: 275 job openings in Burlington, N.C., according to the company’s career page, no change from last week, but 23 fewer openings than a month ago
  • Lenovo: 152 job openings in Morrisville, according to the company’s career page, down 15 openings compared to last week and down 71 openings from a month ago
  • MetLife: 81 job openings in Cary, according to the company’s career page, down 33 openings from a month ago.  MetLife told WRAL TechWire recently that it planned to hire 400 workers by New Year’s Day.  The organization hosts Triangle Tech X this week.
  • Merck: 8 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • Microsoft: 28 job openings in Raleigh, according to the company’s career page, up 20 openings from a month ago.  The company confirmed last month that it planned to make job cuts, with some 1,000 workers affected.
  • NetApp: 84 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • Novo Nordisk: 180 jobs in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page.  And even more jobs could be coming to the Novo Nordisk location in Johnston County, WRAL TechWire reported in October.
  • Novartis: 8 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page.  The company is closing a Wilson plant
  • Pendo: 7 job openings in Raleigh, according to the company’s career page.  The technology unicorn did announce there would be Pendo layoffs earlier this year totaling less than 5% of the company’s workforce, and less than two dozen employees in Raleigh affected.
  • Pfizer: 69 job openings in North Carolina, according to the company’s career page, down 16 open jobs from last week and 48 jobs from a month ago
  • Red Hat: 50 job openings in Raleigh, according to the company’s career page, an increase of 14 openings from a week ago.  Red Hat is owned by IBM and had a leadership change earlier this year.
  • RTI International: 126 job openings in Durham, according to the company’s career page, same as last week
  • SAS: 66 job openings in Cary, according to the company’s career page, including internships
  • Science 37: 4 job openings that could be based in Raleigh, though some other roles are remote positions.  The company announced it would make job cuts earlier this month.
  • Sensus (Xylem): 40 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • Spectrum: 32 job openings in the Triangle, according to the company’s career page
  • Syneos Health: 8 job openings in Raleigh, according to the company’s career page
  • Toshiba Global Commerce: 96 openings in Durham, according to the company’s career page
  • Wolfspeed: 272 job openings in Durham, according to the company’s career page, 29 openings more than a month ago.  The company announced a $5 billion investment that is expected to bring some 1,800 jobs to the region, as reported earlier this year by WRAL TechWire.
  • Worldwide Clinical Trials: 65 job openings in North Carolina, according to the company’s careers page

 

Other resources to find Triangle job postings

If you’re a student looking for an internship or entry-level position at a local company or organization, your university has resources to help you get started. Quick links below:

For Johnston County job seekers: The recently launched JoCo Careers website helps job seekers find companies hiring in Johnston County. (More TechWire coverage here.)

 

Look for Triangle job postings on these Twitter accounts

Here are some locally run Twitter accounts that regularly share job openings in the Triangle: