Quarterly Publication
North Carolina's premier quarterly market intelligence publication — tracking consumer sentiment, business confidence, labor markets, and investment conditions across the state.
Get the Q1 2026 Report ›What's Inside
Each edition of the Lighthouse Report covers the full range of economic indicators that matter most to decision-makers — from household financial conditions and spending intentions to hiring plans, capital investment sentiment, and regional variation across the state.
A concise overview of the quarter's key findings and what they mean for North Carolina's business environment.
How North Carolina households rate their current financial situation and what they expect over the next six months — segmented by age and income.
How firms across technology, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and retail assess current conditions and near-term expectations.
Hiring intentions, headcount trends, and compensation expectations — broken down by industry sector.
Whether businesses view the current environment as favorable for major capital investments, by sector and firm size.
A regional breakdown comparing conditions in the Triangle, Triad, Charlotte metro, and the rest of the state.
Our analysts' synthesis of the data — including strategic recommendations for organizations planning in the current environment.
Full transparency on survey design, sample composition, and the diffusion index methodology used to calculate sentiment scores.
What You'll Find Inside
Each edition of the Lighthouse Report delivers proprietary survey data across four interconnected dimensions of North Carolina's economy — giving decision-makers a full picture, not a partial one.
How NC households assess their current financial situation and what they expect over the coming six months — segmented by age group and income level.
How firms in technology, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and retail view current conditions and their near-term outlook — broken down by sector.
Hiring intentions, headcount trends, and compensation expectations across industries — a forward-looking view of employment conditions in the state.
Whether businesses and consumers see the current environment as favorable for major investments and spending — and how that sentiment varies by region.
Our Methodology
The Lighthouse Report is built on original, proprietary survey research — not secondhand data or commissioned studies. Our consumer and business surveys are designed for statistical representativeness, and our results are never influenced by external funders or clients.
Sentiment results are summarized using a normalized diffusion index — a standard approach in economic survey research that captures the balance of positive and negative responses. All publicly offered research is conducted independently and is not commissioned, funded, or influenced by any outside organization.
The data your organization needs to plan, hire, and invest with confidence in North Carolina.