Budget, Taxation & Economy
At the state legislature, Locke advocates for limiting the expenditure of tax dollars and strictly limiting its tax burdens on families and businesses.
May Jobs Report
After 10 months of steady decreases, North Carolina’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in May from April’s 3.4% rate, according to the latest release from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The national…
Budget Adjustments Must Reject Fleeting Political Currents
Last fall, North Carolina passed a state budget for the Fiscal Year 2021 – 2023 biennium with many notable wins for North Carolinians. The budget allows workers to keep more of their…
Economic Fallout From Covid Shutdowns
The economic pain from shutting down the economy was inevitable. It was merely a question of when. Is that time now?
Prices Are Still Going Up, Up, Up
We are all watching for signs that allude to subsiding inflationary pressures, hoping that our trips to the grocery store and gas station become less expensive. But the latest CPI…
Three Reasons to Remove the Privilege License Tax
On the heels of sweeping tax reform, the North Carolina legislature simplified the privilege license tax when they eliminated municipal privilege taxes in 2014. The state still levies a privilege…
North Carolina Local Unemployment Rates: from 2.6% to 7.4%
Since September, the John Locke Foundation has been tracking the monthly jobs and unemployment data for North Carolina released by the Department of Commerce. North Carolina has relatively low unemployment. The April…
Who Asked For That? North Carolina Needs Insko Rule
Even in the bastion of duplicity, representatives in Washington D.C. must attach their names to their pork spending projects in a piece of legislation, a bare minimum for transparency’s sake. …
Worker Shortage: More Than Two Job Openings Per Job Seeker
Businesses are on the mend from government-induced Covid shutdowns. But even while most industries are adding jobs, we have a labor shortage. According to the March Job Openings and Labor…
Inflation by State: Where Does NC Rank?
The average North Carolina household is paying an extra $506 this month compared to Jan. 2021, thanks to inflation .
Inflation Is a Tax Nobody Voted For
Inflation is a deeply regressive tax, impacting all Americans, especially low-income households. While we’re all paying the tax, none of us were allowed to vote on it. Bureaucrats being empowered…
April Jobs Report
North Carolina’s employment situation improved again in April as the unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, remaining below the national average of 3.6%, according to the latest release from the North Carolina Department…
State Budget Writers Should Resist Temptation to Spend Surplus Funds
With recession possibly on the horizon, NC budget writers should resist temptation to spend current surpluses.