Strengths and strains in Charlotte's economy, with economist Mark Vitner

In a time of economic turbulence and market volatility, understanding where things stand—and where they’re headed—feels more important than ever.

In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Ledger editor Tony Mecia talks with economist Mark Vitner. Vitner, a longtime Charlotte-based economist formerly with Wells Fargo, is now chief economist for Piedmont Crescent Capital, a boutique economic consulting firm. He explains why the Charlotte region has remained resilient—and what clouds may be gathering on the horizon.

Vitner notes that while the fundamentals remain solid, warning signs are starting to flash—especially when it comes to trade tensions, inflation expectations and real estate. He also discusses how Charlotte’s unique strengths position it better than many peer cities to weather a potential downturn.

Among other topics, he discusses:

• Why Charlotte added more jobs than Atlanta over the last 12 months—despite being a smaller city

• How the recent tariffs and trade uncertainty are fueling fears of inflation and recession

• Why real-time indicators could be signaling trouble ahead

• The sectors most vulnerable in a downturn

• Why Charlotte is well-positioned to bounce back if a recession hits

We hope you enjoy the conversation with Mark Vitner.

This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Tony Mecia.

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