Top to bottom, prognosis for NC economic recovery is good Pandemic-induced unemployment levels have diminished rapidly, according to a report issued by a Western Carolina University economist. WCU Center for the Study of Free Enterprise photo North Carolina’s fiscal and economic health, along with years of budgetary discipline and a commitment to economic freedom, bode well for a sustained long-term economic recovery so long as policymakers continue prudent decision making — particularly in regard to worker regulations and market restrictions. That’s the conclusion of a new report issued by Western Carolina University’s Center for the Study of Free Enterprise and its director, economics professor Dr. Edward J. Lopez.