The area's largest employers are...

Charlotte's big banks aren't the only major employers in town. From healthcare to retail to government sectors, the largest employers reflect the area's economic diversity. Here's a rundown of the major players based on 2010 data from the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce:

Carolinas HealthCare System

Employees: 27,432.

What to know: The group that runs Carolinas Medical Center is Charlotte's largest employer, besting No. 2 Wells Fargo by nearly 7,000 employees. Look for its hospitals in Charlotte, Concord, Pineville, University City, Lincolnton, Kings Mountain and Shelby.

Big names: Levine Children's Hospital, on CMC's main Charlotte campus, is named for benefactors Sandra and Leon Levine. He founded the Family Dollar chain of discount stores - where 2,400 work in the Charlotte area.

Website: www.carolinashealthcare.org.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Employees: 16,017.

By the numbers: This is North Carolina's second-largest school system, with teachers, administrators and support staff reaching more than 135,000 students.

Schooling options range from standard programs to magnets offering specialized study, such as science or performing arts.

In the news: With all these people having a stake in the system, small wonder that CMS generates some of the biggest headlines in town.

Recent news includes school closures and layoffs due to the economy, and former Superintendent Peter Gorman departure for a high-profile job with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Website: www.cms.k12.nc.us.

Wal-Mart and Sam's Club

Employees: 14,000.

Easy to find: The Bentonville, Ark.-based discount grocery chain and world's largest retailer has 20 Wal-Mart stores and six Sam's Clubs in and around Charlotte.

More on the way: Look for a new Wal-Mart opening in Huntersville in 2012.

Website: www.wal-mart.com.

Novant Healthcare (Presbyterian Hospital)

Employees: 9,000.

About Novant: Based in Winston-Salem, the not-for-profit health care system runs Presbyterian Healthcare, which has hospitals in Charlotte, Matthews and Huntersville, and plans one in Mint Hill. Novant owns 13 hospitals in the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia.

Open house: Presbyterian Healthcare donated $750,000 to complete the $9 million fundraising goal for the new Ronald McDonald House in town, which temporarily houses out-of-town families with seriously- ill children receiving care at Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital or Levine.

Website: www.presbyterian.org.

Lowe's

Employees: 7,800.

Cha-ching: The nation's second-largest home improvement store generated nearly $49 billion in sales last year.

Did you know: Lowe's operates 1,750 stores in North America, including 20 in the Charlotte area, and has corporate headquarters in Mooresville.

Website: www.lowes.com.

Delhaize America Inc. (Food Lion)

Employees: 8,700.

Price check: Delhaize, which operates Salisbury-based Food Lion and other supermarket chains, announced this year it is overhauling its 1,200 Food Lion stores with lower prices and bigger staffing.

Elsewhere: Delhaize operates about more than 1,600 stores in the United States, including Food Lion, Bloom, Hannaford and Bottom Dollar.

Website: www.foodlion.com.

Duke Energy Corp.

Employees: 7,300.

Power on: This is one of the largest energy companies in the country, supplying electric power to 1.8 million customers in North Carolina and approximately 4 million around the country.

More to come: A corporate merger between Duke Energy and Raleigh-based Progress Energy - expected to be completed this year - will create the largest U.S. utility.

Website: www.duke-energy.com.