Editing Columbus County, North Carolina (section)

==Economy==
The economy of Columbus County centers on agriculture and manufacturing. Columbus farmers produce crops such as pecans and peanuts, along with soybeans, potatoes, and corn. Cattle, poultry, and catfish are other agricultural products in the county. Factories in the region produce textiles, tools, and plywood. Household products such as doors, furniture, and windows are also manufactured in Columbus.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Martin|first=Jonathan|url=http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/700/entry|title=Columbus County (1808)|website=North Carolina History Project|access-date=March 15, 2018|publisher=John Locke Foundation|language=en-US}}</ref> The county hosts two industrial parks and shares a third with Brunswick County.<ref>{{cite news| last = Schofield| first = Ivey| title = Workforce is key to capitalizing on agribusiness and population growth in Columbus| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = June 1, 2021| url = https://borderbelt.org/workforce-is-key-to-capitalizing-on-agribusiness-and-population-growth-in-columbus/| access-date = January 12, 2023}}</ref> [[International Paper]] is the largest employer.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.columbusedc.com/industry| title = Industry| publisher = Columbus County Economic Decision| access-date = January 26, 2023}}</ref> According to census figures, over 14,000 Columbus residents commute to other counties for work, while about 7,600 residents work within the county.<ref name= williams>{{cite news| last = Williams| first = Joseph| title = Most county residents work elsewhere, and those who do earn more, data shows| newspaper = The News Reporter| date = June 15, 2022| url = https://www.nrcolumbus.com/news/business/most-county-residents-work-elsewhere-and-those-who-do-earn-more-data-shows/article_f13d94a8-6d9d-5066-ae50-c9670cff715d.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230128085612/https://www.nrcolumbus.com/news/business/most-county-residents-work-elsewhere-and-those-who-do-earn-more-data-shows/article_f13d94a8-6d9d-5066-ae50-c9670cff715d.html|archive-date=January 28, 2023}}</ref> The [[North Carolina Department of Commerce]] classifies the county as economically distressed<ref>{{cite news| last = Schofield| first = Ivey| title = Major expansion planned for business park in southeastern North Carolina| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = January 23, 2023| url = https://borderbelt.org/international-logistics-park-nc-expansion/| access-date = January 23, 2023}}</ref> and it has regularly suffered from a higher unemployment rate than the state average.<ref name= williams/>