Georgia Overview

Georgia has had a more difficult time rebounding from the recession than other states, but its affordable cost of living and alluring lifestyle are still attracting a solid supply of job seekers. More recent Georgia employment indicators are positive, putting the Georgia job market and its 4.7 million workers on a forecasted track of recovery.

Georgia Job Opportunities

Full of Southern hospitality, the Peach State is one of the fastest-growing US states. Its big cities of Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus and Savannah offer an assortment of Georgia work opportunities and generate a brisk tourism business.

A significant 22 percent of employment in Georgia is in the trade, transportation and utilities sector. Other critical areas for jobs in Georgia include government, professional/business services and education/health services. Government and the professional/business sectors have most recently reported the strongest growth, while industries with smaller shares of employment, including construction, information and other services, have declined.

Georgia Employment Trends

Georgia’s job conditions are trending positive. The unemployment rate, which peaked at 10.5 percent in late 2009 and early 2010, did not show notable improvement until the end of 2011, and was still hovering in the 9-percent range during the first half of 2012. Payroll employment declined for more than two years during the recession, but showed steady, positive growth in 2011. Online hiring has also improved, yet is still below prerecession levels.

Moody’s Analytics forecasts a 1.9 percent increase in Georgia jobs between Q2 2012 and Q2 2013, higher than the 1.3 percent increase expected in the US job supply over that time period.