POPULATION: 9,227,016 (July 2008)

LABOR FORCE: 4,596,722 (July 2009)

RIGHT TO WORK: Yes

TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES: Agriculture, textiles and apparel, wood products, furniture

EXPANDING INDUSTRIES: Alternative energy, green technology, defense, aerospace, pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing, nanotechnology, R&D, information technology, advanced manufacturing, banking and finance, automotive components, plastics, call centers

COLLEGE GRADUATES: (Age 25 and over) 25.6%

BASIC BUSINESS TAXES:
Corporate Income Tax: 6.9 percent of net income apportionable and allowable to the state

Sales and Use Tax: Effective Oct. 1, 2009, general retail sales and use tax is 4.75 percent; general rate applies to purchases of tangible commodities, room and cottage rentals, laundry/dry cleaning services; tax does not apply to prescriptions, gasoline, coin-operated laundries, or motor vehicles; eight counties (Alexander, Catawba, Cumberland, Haywood, Martin, Pitt, Sampson, and Surry) have levied an additional 0.25 percent local sales and use tax, bringing their local rate to 2.5 percent; local rate in Mecklenburg County is 2.75 percent; local rate in other counties is 2.25 percent.

Property Tax: Local government levies on real and tangible personal property located within their jurisdictions; property assessed at 100 percent of appraised value; real property must be revalued every eight years but is revalued every four years in some jurisdictions

BUSINESS INCENTIVES:
One North Carolina Fund and Small Business Fund
N.C. Green Business Fund
Job Development Investment Grant
Customized training programs
R&D Tax Credit
Job Creation Tax Credit
CDBG Program
Investment Tax Credit
Industrial revenue bonds
Site infrastructure development grants