By: Teri Saylor
To understand Fayetteville’s economic well-being, start with Jeremy Jackson. Every quarter, the Fayetteville State University economist distills a mountain of data into a clear picture of where the region’s economy stands and where it’s headed.
Jackson is the Lloyd V. Hackley Chair for the Study of Capitalism and Free Enterprise at FSU’s Broadwell College of Business and Economics, and he is using his platform to report on local, state and national economic trends.
Using the Federal Reserve Economic Database, Jackson compiles quarterly reports focusing on the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area and the broader sandhills region. The reports focus on leading indicators such as wages, labor force participation, unemployment rates and housing price indices.
Jackson’s Economic Outlook Quarterly Report for Q2 2026, published last June, provides a forward-facing view grounded in historic data and robust economic methodologies. The report adds context for decision-makers navigating future uncertainties and fills a void in the marketplace for local economic information, he says.
From North Dakota to Fayetteville
Jackson, who joined FSU’s faculty in 2024, developed his North Carolina forecast model to predict economic trends and to forge a connection to the community.
“My goal is to provide analytical, data-driven methods for reporting on what’s happening in the local economy.”
Before joining FSU, Jackson held a similar position at North Dakota State University, where he first started developing quarterly economic reports. He also authored Prairie Prosperity: An Economic Guide for the State of North Dakota.
His work in North Dakota highlighted the state’s structural economic drivers, fiscal vulnerabilities, and crisis impacts, including the state’s “boom-and-bust” economy brought on by its reliance on the agricultural sector and energy reserves during the oil boom of the early 2000s.
Jackson’s arrival at FSU represented a homecoming of sorts. A native of Fayetteville, he was born at Fort Bragg, where his dad was stationed. He also forged ties to North Carolina as a visiting research scholar at Wake Forest University in 2018 and 2019.
Drawn to FSU because of shared goals, interests and experience, Jackson seized the opportunity to hold the endowed professorship that came with a measure of prestige and a budget that enables him to pursue special projects like his quarterly reports.
Reading the Numbers
The reports, which aim to inform the public and provide business leaders and policy makers with a tool to help them plan for Fayetteville’s future, focus on key economic indicators such as wage growth, labor force participation, unemployment, and the housing price index.
The 2026 Q2 report depicts a positive outlook for both North Carolina and the Fayetteville metropolitan area. Statewide, salaries appear poised for growth, he says. He predicts a brief downturn in gross state product but expects it to grow by 2027.
Jackson reports that the Fayetteville housing index is forecast to remain near its current level, and the local unemployment rate is expected to continue its downward trend, indicating a strengthening local jobs market.
Forecasting has long been a mainstay in the field of economics, Jackson says.
“It conveys much-needed information about the world we live in. Forecasting also shows trends in economic variables that can be useful for public and private decision-makers.”
But, Jackson warns, economic forecasting is not an exact science.
“Models use historical data and past trends, and unexpected changes in economic conditions, public policy or other factors may disrupt accuracy,” he says. “In addition, models don’t incorporate the inherent uncertainty and complexity surrounding the modern economic system.”
Nevertheless, Jackson says that the North Carolina economy continues to perform well, and he plans to expand his reports to include some of the state’s metropolitan areas, including Raleigh and Charlotte.
A Growing Region
Some regions of the state are experiencing an economic development boom, and overall population is on the rise.
Last January, using U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the Governor’s Office reported that North Carolina has become the third fastest growing state in the nation, swelling to 11.2 million.
According to the N.C. Association of County Commissioners’ 2025 figures, Cumberland County’s population is 337,972, representing nearly 3% growth since 2015. But statistics fluctuate when taking Fort Bragg into consideration.
“It’s great for Fayetteville and the state that people are moving here. But when we consider what’s happening on the base, that kind of flow in and out of Fort Bragg does have a lot to do with the way Fayetteville’s tides shift, as reflected in the housing market and the demand at local businesses.”
BY THE NUMBERS
| North Carolina population (2026) | 11.2 million |
| Cumberland County population growth since 2015 | ~3% |
| Cumberland County population | 337,972 |
| Anonymous Trust gift to FSU — largest in university history | $6.5 million |
| FSU summer 2026 enrollment (record high) | 4,827 students |
| Recurring annual state allocation for the 30-60-90 program | $2 million |
This summer has been good to FSU, which recently announced a $6.5 million commitment from Anonymous Trust, a community-focused funder that supports under-resourced communities in eastern North Carolina. It’s the largest gift in the university’s history and comes during a time of unprecedented summer enrollment of 4,827, according to the announcement.
The gift covers tuition, housing, and meals for students enrolled in the university’s 30-60-90 Free Summer School Program. And the state’s new budget bill includes a recurring $2 million annual state allocation for the initiative.
The university also announced that FSU’s Broadwell College of Business and Economics earned national recognition from The Princeton Review’s 2027 Top 50 Online MBA Programs, ranking FSU’s online MBA 20th in the nation.
All this bodes well for the economy, and local business owners are among those reaping the greatest rewards.
“Many of my students are looking at careers as entrepreneurs and they know they will need start-up funding. Having these reports that say the economy here is doing well and can support their endeavors can help them get loans and attract investors.”
Local government officials and economic developers can also point to the reports to support their initiatives and attract business and industry, and FSU is raising the bar on workforce development.
“Higher education plays a key role in ensuring we’re building the workforce that employers are going to need in the future,” he says. “North Carolina is blessed with one of the best systems of state universities in the country and some of the highest-tier private institutions as well.”
Beyond the Data
Jackson has taken a public service approach to his work, which includes research with co-authors on how free markets and economic freedom interact with social capital, trust, and regulation.
“We typically measure those through what we call indices of economic freedom,” he says. “My research has looked at the relationship between economic freedom and happiness.”
His studies also explore how regulatory burdens and market exchanges dynamically affect social trust.
“I’ve looked at the relationship between economic freedom and social capital, where social capital is one of the most enduring things that contributes to measures of happiness, the ties that bind us together, and the communities we live in.”
Read Jeremy Jackson’s full Economic Outlook Quarterly Report for Q2 2026, or learn more about FSU’s Broadwell College of Business and Economics.
