Employment in Raleigh

Local Economy

The economy in Raleigh is thriving, although the two biggest local employers are both in the public sector — the State of North Carolina and the Wake County Public School System.

American multinational software company Red Hat is another large local employer, with a local workforce in the region of 4,500. Among the other big companies based in Raleigh are BB&T Insurance Services, Carquest, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Golden Corral, First Citizens BancShares, and Martin Marietta Materials.

Raleigh is also described as a major retail shipping point for the eastern North Carolina area, and there are also a lot of job openings in high-tech and biotech research. Advanced textile development is another of the major growth areas of the local economy.

The fact that there is such a focus on education in Raleigh — with a number of top colleges and universities found in the area — is often cited as one of the main reasons for the solid performance of the local economy.

Job Hunting in Raleigh

Traditional US job sites such as Monster, Indeed and CareerBuilder are all good places to start for any expat who is looking for work in Raleigh.

Several newspapers and periodicals are also published to serve Raleigh and the surrounding area and typically also include local job listings. The News & Observer, for instance, is the largest daily newspaper in the city, with a dedicated jobs section found not only on their website.

Work Permits for Raleigh

In the United Sates, work permits are typically part of an expatriate’s visa. There are a number of different work visas available to expats moving to Raleigh for a new job. Temporary employment visas are probably the most common of them, although some foreigners may be eligible for a media visa or an exchange visitor visa instead. You can find more information on this topic in our dedicated articles on Visa & Administration in the USA.