Georgia area workforce trends: WIA area #14 - Lower Chattahoochee, projections to 2012

Fastest Growing Occupations

Medical Assistants Netw ork & Computer Systems
Administrators Tellers
Computer Systems Analysts Computer & Information Systems
Managers Computer Softw are Engineers,
Applications Computer Support Specialists
Personal & Home Care Aides
Child Care Workers
Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners
Sales Managers
Customer Service Representatives
Nursing Aides, Orderlies, & Attendants
Bill & Account Collectors
Management Analysts

3.8% 3.3% 3.0% 2.6% 2.5% 2.4% 2.2% 2.1% 2.1% 2.0% 2.0% 1.9% 1.8% 1.6% 1.5%

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 fastest growing occupations are associated with computer technology.
Three are found mainly in health services.
Several of these occupations have higher than average wages.

Occupations with the Most Annual Openings

Cashiers
Waiters & Waitresses
Retail Salespersons Comb. Food Prep & Serving Workers, Incl.
Fast Food Customer Service Representatives
Registered Nurses Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material
Movers, Hand General & Operations Managers
Elem. School Teachers, Exc. Special Ed.
Child Care Workers
Stock Clerks & Order Fillers
Office Clerks, General
Nursing Aides, Orderlies, & Attendants
Food Preparation Workers Janitors & Cleaners, Exc. Maids &
Hsekeep. Cleaners Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners

150 120 110 100 80 60 60 50 50 50 50 50 40 40 40 40

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.
Two of these jobs are directly related to healthcare industry.
Twelve 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 # 14 Lower Chattahoochee
This area is made up of eight counties in west Georgia in and around the city of Columbus. It includes the following counties: Chattahoochee, Clay, Harris, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, and Talbot.
Workforce Information & Analysis Division Georgia Department of Labor Michael L. Thurmond Commissioner

Total Industry Growth

Total employment in WIA Area #14 is expected to grow from more than 116,000 jobs in 2002 to almost 120,000 by the year 2012, which equates to approximately 300 new jobs added each year. This area is the home of a regional medical center and a major military base. It is also the location of a major international insurer, as well as a major credit card holding company. Substantial employment can be found in health services, education services, insurance, finance, food processing, textile mills, federal government service, and electrical equipment manufacturing.
The top ten industries in this area with the most job growth are listed below.

Educational Services
Administrative & Support Services
Ambulatory Health Care Services
Credit Intermediation & Related Activities
Food Services & Drinking Places
Social Assistance
Nursing & Residential Care Facilities Relig., Grantmak., Civic, Prof., & Similar
Organizations Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

1,610 1,090 1,020 740 680 620 610 430 400 260

Industry Rate of Growth

The area's economy is expected to lag behind both the state's and the nation's economy over the projection period. Area job growth is expected to be 0.3 percent per year, while Georgia's job growth is expected to be 1.6 percent per year and the nation is expected to have annual job growth of 1.4 percent.
The ten fastest growing industries in this area are listed below.

Social Assistance
Couriers & Messengers
Credit Intermediation & Related Activities
Nursing & Residential Care Facilities Secur., Comm. Contracts, & Other Finan.
Invstmnts. & Rel. Activities Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
Transit & Ground Passenger Transportation
Ambulatory Health Care Services
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
Administrative & Support Services

3.8% 3.8% 3.6% 3.3% 3.1% 2.9% 2.5% 2.3% 2.2% 1.8%

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

Customer Service Representatives Comb. Food Prep & Serving Wrkrs, Incl.
Fast Food
Nursing Aides, Orderlies, & Attendants

490 260 230

Computer Systems Analysts

220

Registered Nurses

220

Waiters & Waitresses

220

Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners

220

Child Care Workers

220

Elem. School Teachers, Exc. Special Ed.

190

Medical Assistants

170

Computer Support Specialists

140

Tellers

140

Computer Softw are Engineers,

130

Applications

Netw ork Systems & Data Communications

Analysts

130

Food Preparation Workers

130

These 15 occupations out of more than 700 - are projected to add more than 3,100 jobs over the next 10 years, the majority of all projected job growth in this area.
Seven occupations require short-term on-the-job training of one month or less and four require a bachelor's degree
Four of these occupations are computer-related.