Industry Spotlight: Atlanta, GA

The South is famous for a number of reasons – hot, humid weather; sweet tea; or its world-renowned "Southern Hospitality". However, a number of cities below the Mason-Dixon have made news recently in their own right due to their plentiful job markets. Long known as the home of Turner Broadcasting, Atlanta, Georgia has also become a hotspot for jobs in several sectors, rivaling any metro area in the country.

Attention job seekers: Check for that midnight train…
Atlanta residents are now living in a booming economy driven by the trade, transportation, utilities and professional and business services industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Hotlanta is sitting at 5.1 percent, and has remained under 5.5 percent since August 2015.

A Forbes report listed Atlanta as fifth in the nation for businesses and careers and 47th for job growth. "Year over year, we're seeing tremendous growth in new developments – commercial and retail – all over Atlanta," says Trish Kellogg, Division Director of Beacon Hill's Associates Division in Atlanta. "Recently, a number of companies have relocated their headquarters south for the tax benefits, relatively low cost of living, and supple talent base. These new entrants to the market have, in turn, opened up countless job opportunities." Georgia's largest city also has very accommodating living conditions as well with a median household income of $57,062 and median home prices at $162,200.
Here's a closer look at the city's top-performing industries:

City in a forest of opportunity: Trade, transportation and utilities
Atlanta has become a major player among cities in America competing for valuable job markets. According to the BLS, this employment category has remained strong with 595,500 jobs and a year-over-year growth at 3.1 percent.

Business is peachy: Professional and business services
This job sector has also come on strong in recent years. According to the BLS, the city's professional and business services jobs have grown by 3.6 percent this year to accommodate 497,500 jobs, which makes it Atlanta's second biggest employer.

The A-Plus: Education and health services
Looking for jobs in education? The ATL provides some compelling choices. Over twenty colleges and universities reside within 20 miles of the city limits, and the public school system enrolled almost 200,000 students during the 2015-16 school year. There are also a number of hospital systems and insurance companies in the area, making for a robust market in both healthcare and education. BLS statistics show that there are now 325,000 jobs in the city due to a 3.2 percent growth over last year.

Industry breakdowns
Hotlanta is as hot as any job market in the country with its educated workforce and jobs across all markets. In fact, the BLS showed that only the mining and logging sectors declined in year-over-year growth by 1.4 percent.

• The construction sector grew by 7.2 percent this year to provide 116,800 jobs.
• Manufacturing has also expanded rapidly by 3.6 percent in 2016 to accommodate 163,300 jobs.
• Financial activities followed suit with a 2 percent growth rate to 166,300 jobs.
• Leisure and hospitality have remained strong with 291,500 jobs after its 5.6 percent growth this year.
• Government has continued to grow as well with 313,100 jobs on a 1.4 percent increase in 2016.

With the way things are headed for the city once known as "Gate City", it certainly looks any prospective job seeker should be knocking on those "gates" post-haste! It is clear from the BLS data that with rapid growth in burgeoning sectors, it offers great opportunities across a variety of sectors.

This is brought to you by the Marketing Team at Beacon Hill Staffing Group.