RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Layoffs are coming to two businesses in Raleigh, impacting roughly 200 people.
This comes after the United States sees a jump in applications for jobless benefits.
Wells Fargo announced 112 layoffs at one of their business units in Raleigh while Bahama Breeze announced 75 layoffs at their North Hills location.
UNC Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen told ABC11 that job openings have been falling nationwide. Still, he says it’s too soon to know if these layoffs are part of a larger trend.
“It’s hard to know whether these layoff announcements are an indication of something, of things getting worse in the economy, or just kind of general trends that relate specifically to these businesses,” he said.
Data from December suggests North Carolina is outperforming national trends. Cohen said job openings in North Carolina have gone up, and jobless claims have gone down.
“The data is kind of mixed for the country versus the state,” he noted. “If you start to see a lot of layoffs, at the same time you start to see, you know, fewer job openings, that’s really worrying.”
Job seekers are still facing challenges in securing interviews.
Mir Garvy, owner and founder of Job Market Solutions, assists people across the country in finding employment.
“If you’re relying on applications alone in this market, it’s so easy to become invisible,” she said.
Garvy said that AI has made it harder for job seekers to stand out and advises using keywords on a resume to bypass AI software that prioritizes certain applicants.
“You still need to tell stories, have quantifiable metrics, measurable outcomes, results, and numbers on your resume,” she said.
Garvy also added that traditional networking remains a valuable strategy for job seekers aiming to make an impact.
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