Our Research
Our specialized market intelligence research is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of industry, government, educational, and nonprofit consumers across North Carolina and its key markets. Our exclusive research offerings directly address questions facing decision-makers in many fields.
Research Areas
How optimistic — or not — are other business leaders in our regional economic environment? As operators who face customers, prospects, vendors, suppliers, and investors on a daily basis, how do they feel about growth, hiring, and investment prospects?
Our business confidence research surveys decision-makers with direct authority over company strategy, operations, staffing, capital investment, and budgeting — across technology, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, retail, and other key verticals.
Consumer sentiment informs a range of critical business decisions, from tailoring marketing strategies to improving product offerings to better meet consumer needs. Knowing whether consumers are feeling more confident, or beginning to tighten their belts, has a significant impact on how any organization prepares to respond.
We track both current financial conditions and six-month forward expectations, with breakdowns by age group and income level — giving organizations the demographic detail they need to plan effectively.
Anticipating consumer demand, as well as price sensitivity, can be extremely relevant for firms facing investment decisions, product choices, or pricing strategy.
Understanding whether consumers are ready to make major purchases — or deferring them — helps organizations time capital deployment, inventory decisions, and go-to-market strategies with greater confidence.
Are firms planning on hiring up, or shedding headcount? Are in-demand workers looking ahead to move employers, or are they in entrenchment mode? How are compensation demands responding? These are all critical questions that firms in all sectors face — questions that can only be answered with data.
Our labor market research tracks hiring intentions, workforce mobility, and compensation trends by industry — giving employers, investors, and policymakers a clear view of the talent landscape across North Carolina.
Who We Serve
Our research is used by a wide range of organizations that share a common need: reliable, unbiased data about North Carolina's economic landscape.
Credit conditions, consumer financial health, and business investment sentiment for lending and portfolio decisions.
Market demand signals, hiring environment, and business confidence across NC's growing tech sector.
Workforce trends, consumer spending patterns, and the economic conditions affecting healthcare organizations and systems.
Consumer sentiment, major purchase intent, and demand forecasting for retailers and consumer-facing businesses.
Labor market conditions, workforce pipeline trends, and the economic outlook shaping enrollment and program planning.
Our Commitment
Lighthouse Research is dedicated to completely independent and unbiased market intelligence. Our publicly offered research is not commissioned, funded, or in any way influenced by any other organization. We exist to simply measure and report what our market is saying.
That independence is what makes our data trustworthy — and why decision-makers across North Carolina rely on the Lighthouse Report to inform their most important choices.