EDUCATION PAYS.

• Position: NC TREND: Vital signs: News and numbers from across the state

In North Carolina, job-growth trends are showing that education really does pay. The fastest-growing jobs projected in the state from 2017-26 will require a higher educational achievement than in years past, according to a new study from Carolina Demography. Jobs that only require a highschool diploma are expected to grow 1.5% slower than all jobs in the state. The skilled-service sector, which typically requires an associate degree, is anticipated to exceed the average state job growth by 3.3%, while jobs requiring a master's degree or higher will have the fastest growth at 12.4%.

Caption: CAROLINAS INDEX

Caption: TAXABLE RETAIL SALES (BILLION)

> RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT VALUATIONS (MILLION) (YEAR TO DATE) APR-19 APR-18 % CHANGE ASHEVILLE $190.5 $219.2 (13.1)% CHARLOTTE/CONCORD/GASTONIA 1,472.0 1,671.5 (11.9) DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL 305.8 342.6 (10.7) FAYETTEVILLE 73.7 56.0 31.6 GREENSBORO/HIGH POINT 162.1 176.1 (8.0) RALEIGH/CARY 833.4 1,000.2 (16.7) WILMINGTON 249.9 150.2 66.4 WINSTON-SALEM 131.4...