PENNY-PINCHING PAYCHECKS.

About a quarter of North Carolina workers earned wages that were less than $12.36 an hour, which the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute defines as a poverty-level wage. That is down from about a third in 2014 and more than 40% during the recession of the early 1980s. The federal poverty threshold for a family of four is $25,100 in North Carolina. The state is among about 20 that have a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, the lowest allowable under federal law.

Caption: % OF N.C. WORKERS EARNING POVERTY-LEVEL WAGES

Caption: CAROLINAS INDEX The Carolinas Index is an equal weighted index composed of the 75 largest companies in the Carolinas based on market value.

Caption: TAXABLE RETAIL SALES (BILLION)

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT VALUATIONS (MILLION) (YEAR TO DATE) JAN-20 JAN-19 % CHANGE ASHEVILLE $54.3 $41.2 32.0%...