The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced that Georgia is ranked sixth nationally and third in the Southeast for top job growth. With the creation of over 79,300 new jobs in the past 12 months, Georgia represents a strong 2.0 percent annual growth rate, which is higher than the nation’s average of 1.8 percent.
Georgia also had solid over-the-month growth, ranking sixth in the nation and third in the Southeast. Georgia ranks in the top 10 states for percentage growth over the month. The number of jobs in Georgia totaled 4,132,900 in August, up from 4,053,600 in August 2013. The August-to-August job growth was the second largest in Georgia since 2005.
“Georgia has been ranked in the top 10 states for job creation for the past two years,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “Our state’s employers are to be commended for their confidence in our state’s economy, as they continue to invest in hiring and growing their companies.”
Georgia’s job gains came in several sectors, including computer system design, accounting, architectural and engineering, transportation and warehousing, retail trade, wholesale trade, construction of buildings, specialty trade contractors, ambulatory health care services, and hospitals.
States ranked ahead of Georgia and their job growth over the year include: Texas, 381,600 (3.4%); California, 292,700 (1.9%); Florida, 202,500 (2.7%); New York, 137,100 (1.5%); and North Carolina, 86,300 (2.1%).