Employment Outlook: Atlanta

The diverse, thriving U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia, seems poised to take on the challenges of the future.

Despite its U.S. Southern flair, Atlanta, Georgia, has always been more of a commercial city than an antebellum monument. Its diverse economy, top-notch educational institutions, and young, educated workforce provide an inviting venue for both multinational corporations and entrepreneurial start-ups.

The economy has recovered well from the COVID-19 pandemic. Atlanta accounted for 93% of job losses in Georgia during the pandemic, but the region currently has an unemployment rate of 2.8%, better than the national rate of 3.7%.

The key to Atlanta’s economy is its diversity. Key industries include:

• Manufacturing and transportation
• Finance and business
• Healthcare and biotech
• Technology

The region’s extensive air, rail, and truck connections have given Atlanta a robust trade and shipping industry. The metro is also a leading center of national and international business and trade.

Areas of Job Promise

Before the COVID-19 crisis, more than 3 million were employed in the region; during the crisis, about 41,000 jobs were lost. Now, in the post-pandemic era, the numbers are at an all-time high at 3.1 million, and the unemployment rate has dropped to 2.8%, the same as the statewide rate. By comparison, the national rate is 3.7%.

With the exception of construction, every sector has added jobs during the post-pandemic recovery. The sectors that have fared the best include:

• Information: +12.1%
• Leisure and hospitality: +7.8%
• Professional and business services: +6.7%
• Trade, transportation and utilities: +6.1%
• Financial activities: +5.9%
• Education and health services: +4.8%
• Manufacturing: +4.6%

Here is a sampling of the jobs that are currently in high demand, according to Workforce Atlanta:

• Business services: Advertising sales, bookkeepers, claims adjusters, office managers, project managers, property managers, administrative assistants, tax preparers
• Transportation, distribution, and logistics: Aircraft mechanics, automotive technicians, business operations specialists
• Health sciences: Dental assistants and hygienists, EMTs, and paramedics, medical and clinical laboratory technicians, nursing assistants, registered nurses
• Hospitality and tourism: Chefs, food services managers
• Information technology: Computer support specialists, web developers

Salaries

Salaries in Atlanta have not kept up with the national average. Wages in the metro area increased by 4.4% last year, while the national average was 5.5%.

Here is a sampling of some of the highest-paying positions in Atlanta (with average annual wage):

• Radiologists: $330,350 USD
• Family medicine physicians: $218,200 USD
• Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers: $207,460 USD
• Nurse anesthetists: $170,870 USD
• Computer and information systems managers: $162,470 USD
• Architectural and engineering managers: $152,440 USD
• Marketing managers: $146,740 USD
• Education administrators, postsecondary: $135,580 USD

The following are average hourly wages for some selected occupations:

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Conclusion

Atlanta has managed to overcome many of the job losses and economic challenges associated with COVID-19. It once again offers thriving business sectors, ranging from entertainment and engineering to finance and marketing, and many in between. It is a young and vibrant city with a diverse and well-educated workforce that seems as ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead, as it did those of the recent past.

By Mary Anne Thompson, founder, and president, GoinGlobal, Inc.

Access to GoinGlobal’s resource database is provided through subscribing institutions. Contact your school’s career center or library for access instructions. Login to your GoinGlobal account here.

Follow @goinglobalTweet to @goinglobal