Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise

Mixed US economic signals raise questions about AI investment returns

A Kenan Institute briefing notes October payrolls rose 165,000 with unemployment at 4.1%, but inflation persists as wages grew 3.1% versus 3.7% consumer price gains. AI hardware and data center investment now equals 18.5% of the economy, a two-decade high, yet investors are growing cautious about technology and AI and questioning returns, creating uncertainty for tech-heavy states like North Carolina.