Fastest Growing Occupations Medical Assistants Computer Softw are Engineers, Systems Softw are Computer Softw are Engineers, Applications Computer Systems Analysts Management Analysts Combined Food Prep & Serving Wrkrs., Incl. Fast Food Bill & Account Collectors Correctional Officers & Jailers Computer Support Specialists Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers Waiters & Waitresses Sales Reps, Whlsale. & Manuf., Tech. & Scientific Products Food Preparation Workers Retail Salespersons Fire Fighters 6.0% 4.9% 4.5% 4.1% 3.4% 3.3% 3.1% 3.1% 3.1% 3.1% 3.0% 3.0% 2.9% 2.8% 2.8% These fast-growing occupations will have better employment prospects than occupations with slow or declining employment. Also, conditions will be more favorable for mobility and advancement. Five of the 15 are found mainly in health services or are computer-related. Ten of these occupations do not require any formal education beyond high school. Occupations with the Most Annual Openings Retail Salespersons Cashiers Waiters & Waitresses Comb. Food Prep & Serving Wrkrs, Incl. Fast Food Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand General & Operations Managers Registered Nurses Elem. School Teachers, Exc. Special Ed. Customer Service Representatives Textile Wind., Tw ist., & Draw . Out Mach. Setrs., Opers., & Tndrs. Sales Reps, Whlsale & Manuf., Exc. Tech. & Scientific Products Stock Clerks & Order Fillers Child Care Workers Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Office Clerks, General 280 260 210 170 170 160 160 160 150 150 130 130 130 510 480 Most of the annual openings in this list will result from the need to replace workers who change jobs rather than from new job creation. Eight require short-term on-the-job training of one month or less. Although these occupations have many projected annual openings, more than half of them pay less than average wages. Georgia Area Workforce Trends Projections to 2012 WIA Area #1 NW Georgia This area is made up of 15 counties in northwest Georgia in and around the cities of Dalton and Rome. It includes the following counties: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker and Whitfield. Workforce Information & Analysis Division Georgia Department of Labor Michael L. Thurmond Commissioner Total Industry Growth Total employment in WIA Area #1 is expected to grow from almost 290,000 jobs in 2002 to almost 330,000 by the year 2012. This equates to almost 4,100 new jobs added each year. This area is home to the largest concentration of tufted carpet producers in the United States. Over the last ten years, it produced more than half the carpet and textile mill products in Georgia. In addition to the textile industry, other key industries include educational services, health services, food manufacturing, truck transportation, plastics and rubber products manufacturing, electrical equipment manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, and primary metal manufacturing. The top ten industries in this area with the most job growth are listed below. Educational Services Food Services & Drinking Places Ambulatory Health Care Services Administrative & Support Services Prof essional, Scientif ic, & Technical Ser v ic es General Merchandise Stores Local Government, except Educ. & Hos pitals Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods Self -employed & Unpaid Family Workers Specialty Trade Contractors 6,910 5,100 3,860 3,390 3,200 2,990 2,200 1,880 1,670 1,610 Industry Rate of Growth While the area's economy is currently not growing as fast as Georgia's overall, it is growing at nearly the same rate as the nation's economy. Area job growth is expected to be 1.3 percent per year, while Georgia's job growth is expected to be 1.6 percent per year. The ten fastest growing industries in this area are listed below. Ambulatory Health Care Services Social Assistance Bldg. Material & Garden Equipmt. & Supplies Dealers General Merchandise Stores Furniture & Home Furnishings Stores Repair & Maintenance Administrative & Support Services Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services Food Services & Drinking Places 4.9% 4.3% 4.3% 3.9% 3.9% 3.5% 3.4% 3.2% 3.1% 2.9% For copies of the Georgia Career Planner, Georgia Workforce Trends in Brief or this publication, call 404/232-3875 or contact your local Department of Labor office. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary Aids and Services Available upon Request to Individuals with Disabilities Occupations with the Most Job Growth Retail Sales pers ons Comb. Food Prep & Serv ing W rkrs ., Inc l. Fas t Food W aiters & W aitres s es Cus tomer Serv ic e Repres entativ es Regis tered Nurs es Cas hiers Elem. Sc hool Teac hers , Ex c ept Spec ial Ed. General & Operations Managers Sales Reps , W hls ale & Manuf ., Ex c . Tec h. & Sc ientif ic Produc ts Superv is ors of Retail Sales W orkers Janitors & Cleaners , Ex c . Maids & Hous ekeeping Cleaners Nurs ing A ides , Orderlies , & A ttendants Rec eptionis ts & Inf ormation Clerks Polic e & Sherif f 's Patrol Of f ic ers Child Care W orkers 1,190 1,110 1,020 980 930 870 820 620 600 560 550 550 530 510 2,380 These 15 occupations out of more than 700 - are projected to add about 13,200 jobs over the next 10 years, about one-third of all projected job growth in Northwest Georgia. Eight occupations require short-term on-the-job training of one month or less and three require a college degree. One of these occupations is found mainly in the textile manufacturing industry, the key industry in this area.