ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Nearly two years after Helene, western North Carolina’s economy is showing signs of improvement. But a new report shows the region still faces challenges tied to jobs and population loss.

According to a report from the North Carolina Rural Center, the region has lost approximately 2,500 tourism-supported jobs since 2023, with Buncombe County experiencing the largest share of those losses.

Despite those setbacks, Nathan Ramsey with the Land of Sky Regional Council said there are encouraging signs in the region’s recovery.

Western North Carolina’s unemployment rate is now around 3.3%, below both the state and national rates. That marks a significant turnaround from the months following Helene, when the region experienced some of the highest unemployment in North Carolina.

Land of Sky estimates there are about 20,000 job openings across the region on any given day. However, wages remain below state and national averages, creating another challenge for workers already facing a high cost of living.

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Ramsey said attracting higher-paying jobs is part of the region’s long-term recovery.

“Henderson County just recently celebrated their biggest year for new jobs in the county with Jabil expansion and the new BorgWarner site,” Ramsey said. “Those will be hundreds of high-paying jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. I think since Helene, there’s been $800 million in investment in Buncombe County from businesses.”

While large investments can help replace some of the jobs lost after Helene, Ramsey said much of western North Carolina’s economy is driven by small businesses.

Helping those businesses recover and grow, particularly those connected to tourism and hospitality, will play a major role in the region’s economic recovery.

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Ramsey said the fall tourism season could also provide an important boost for small businesses and the hospitality industry, though higher gas prices could make travel more expensive for visitors.

Another challenge is bringing back residents who left following the storm.

Buncombe County experienced the region’s largest population loss, losing more than a thousand residents. Housing affordability was already a concern before Helene, and the destruction of thousands of homes made the problem worse.

“We lost, you know, thousands of homes in Helene,” Ramsey said. “It’s taken a long time to rebuild all those homes. You know, even through the state Renew NC program, we’re about $500 million short, as I recall, of funding needed to help repair, reconstruct the homes of people who qualify for that program. So, you know, it’s a long, hard slog.”

Despite those challenges, Land of Sky projects that western North Carolina will add more than 100,000 residents over the next 20 years.