Western North Carolina
Working in Asheville North Carolina
By Contributing Authors, LOCALJOBS.COM
Mar 1, 2006, 06:35 AM

Asheville, North Carolina is a scenic area, well known for its location near the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains.  Aside from its natural beauty, Asheville is also a great place to live due to the wide variety of quality employment opportunities available.

Major industries

The major industries in the area and the largest sources of Asheville employment are manufacturing, tourism and retail.  Manufacturing companies represent about 21% of the job market in Asheville, producing a variety of products such as:

·    fabricated metal

·    automotive parts and components

·    machinery

·    electronics assembly

·    precision instruments

·    medical equipment

·    plastics

·    textiles

·    electrical components

Tourism flourishes in the area as well, thanks to its proximity to a wide variety of natural habitats and landscapes.  Probably the most famous tourist destination, though, is the Biltmore Estate.  This historic estate boasts the original house of over 175,000 square feet, exquisite gardens, a winery, and a modern inn that treats guests to a luxurious resort experience.

The retail environment is extremely strong, too, with two large regional shopping malls as well as over 4,000 small businesses in the area.  Retail in general continues to grow and expand due the influx of people in other professions and work disciplines who want to work and live in Asheville or the surrounding areas.

These three combined – manufacturing, tourism and retail – are the main drivers of Asheville employment. 

Growth industries

The fastest growing industries in Asheville, and increasingly vital sources of Asheville employment, are healthcare, professional services and knowledge-based disciplines such as telecommunications, multimedia, and IT/software development.  Healthcare has been especially dominant as a source of growth, employing about 8,000 people in the area with jobs that represent over 12% of total wages in Asheville and the immediate surrounding region.

As with most other parts of the country, healthcare workers are in great demand.  The shortage of qualified workers means many healthcare facilities and employers have trouble filling open positions, making people with the necessary qualifications extremely desirable.  Experience has shown that Asheville healthcare employers consistently have open positions available.

The influx of industry and associated employment opportunities has naturally led to an upswing in construction activity.  Both commercial property as well as residential property have shown construction growth, while the cost of housing has remained quite reasonable and affordable.

Biodiversity and holistic healing

Asheville’s location in a temperate region of the state means it has abundant and diverse plant life all over the area.  It is thought by many holistic health practitioners to be a herbologist’s dream location, and more and more of these healers are flocking to Asheville.  With them come many opportunities for employment in the field of alternative and ancient healing arts.

The area also draws many people who say they are on a ‘spiritual path’ and feel drawn to the area.  The impact on Asheville employment is noticeable, as all of these ‘pilgrims’ need housing, services, healthcare and more.   

Where to look for Asheville employment

The job outlook in Asheville is quite good, with a strong economic base of manufacturing, retail, tourism and healthcare.  Growth is continuing steadily, meaning there are many jobs out there for you to consider.

You can research and find jobs on your own through networking with others in your field, reading the newspaper to spot information about new employers coming to the area and check the classified advertisements, or use one of the many online job search services currently on the internet.

One of the best places to look for Asheville employment, though, is right here on LocalJobs.com.  We specialize in local employment, bringing together employers and job seekers who appreciate the many great things about working in Asheville.  Employers like our services because we link them with qualified job candidates, and job searchers appreciate the wide range of employment opportunities that we typically list at any one time.

We encourage you to browse through the site and contact us if you have any questions.