Fastest Growing Occupations
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.
Twelve of the fastest growing occupations are in healthcare.
Six of the 15 occupations have earned the Hot label on a state-
wide basis for this period.
Eleven of the occupations on the list typically require education beyond high school.

Occupational Therapy Assistants
Opticians, Dispensing
Hot Nurse Practitioners
Home Health Aides
Hot Physical Therapists Hot Software Developers, Applications
Hot Speech-Language Pathologists Hot Computer Systems Analysts
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Hot Physician Assistants
Medical Equipment Preparers
Dental Assistants
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
Phlebotomists
Medical Assistants

5.76% 4.81% 4.40% 4.39% 4.30% 4.14% 3.49% 3.42% 3.42% 3.24% 2.92% 2.82% 2.72% 2.61% 2.45%

Occupations with the Most Annual Openings
Most of the annual openings on this list will result from the need to replace workers who change jobs rather than from new job creation.
On a statewide basis, two jobs have earned the Hot label
through 2024.
Two of the 15 jobs listed are in transportation, two are in healthcare.
Four of the occupations typically require education beyond high school.

Retail Salespersons Combined Food Prep & Serving Workers, Incl Fast Food
Cashiers Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand
Waiters and Waitresses
Hot Registered Nurses
Customer Service Representatives Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Hot General and Operations Managers
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers Office Clerks, General Nursing Assistants
Correctional Officers and Jailers Receptionists and Information Clerks Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

240 210 180 170 120 100 100 90 80 80 80 70 70 70 60

Georgia Area Workforce Trends

Projections to 2024

LWDA #18 Southern Georgia

Turner

Ben Hill

Irwin Tift

Coffee

Berrien Atkinson Cook

Bacon

Pierce

Ware

Brantley

Lanier Clinch
Brooks Lowndes

Charlton

Echols

This area encompasses 18 counties of southeast Georgia near the Florida border in and around the cities of Tifton, Valdosta, and Waycross. It includes the following counties: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware.

Workforce Statistics & Economic Research Mark Butler, Commissioner

Total Industry Growth

Industry Rate of Growth

Occupations with the Most Growth

Total employment in Southern Georgia LWDA #18 is projected to grow from nearly 151,000 in 2014 to nearly 160,000 by 2024, which equates to an average of nearly 900 new jobs added each year. This area is the home of regional medical centers, universities, aircraft parts manufacturing, and mobile home manufacturing. Key industries include health services, educational services, agricultural production, wood product manufacturing, and transportation equipment manufacturing.

Through 2024, employment in LWDA #18 Southern Georgia is expected to grow by an average of 0.6 percent per year. The annual average job growth in the area will trail the state (1.1 percent) but equal the nation (0.6 percent) over the projections period.
The ten fastest growing industries in this area are listed below.

These 15 occupations out of more than 800 are projected to grow by over 4,500 jobs over the next 10 years, which is just over half of the total job growth in this area.
Four occupations typically require education beyond high school.
Eight of the occupations on the list are in health services and office administration.

The top ten industries in this area with the most job growth are listed below.

Ambulatory Health Care Services
General Merchandise Stores
Educational Services
Professional, Scientific, and Tech Svcs
Bldg Material & Garden Equip & Supplies Dealers
Food Services and Drinking Places
Local Government, Excl Educ and Hospitals
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
Amusement, Gambling, and Rec Industries
Construction of Buildings

930 830 780 730 400 340 320 280

1,900

3,020

Ambulatory Health Care Services
General Merchandise Stores
Bldg Material & Garden Equip & Supplies Dealers
Construction of Buildings
Professional, Scientific, and Tech Svcs
Amusement, Gambling, and Rec Industries
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers
Accommodation, including Hotels and Motels
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
Nonstore Retailers

4.07% 3.57% 2.91% 2.75% 2.66% 2.45% 2.28% 2.10% 1.46% 1.34%

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the Georgia Department of Labor and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor.

One occupations made the list of Georgia's Hot Careers to 2024
as a result of their fast job growth, high wages, and plentiful job
openings during the period 2014-2024.

Retail Salespersons Combined Food Prep & Serving Workers, Incl Fast Food
Hot Registered Nurses
Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand Customer Service Representatives
Receptionists and Information Clerks Home Health Aides Nursing Assistants Medical Assistants Personal Care Aides
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Correctional Officers and Jailers Cooks, Restaurant Stock Clerks and Order Fillers Construction Laborers

690 550 370 370 330 300 290 260 230 220 210 180 170 170 170

For copies of Georgia Area Workforce Trends 2024 or other publications, call 404/232-3875 or contact your local Georgia Department of Labor office. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary Aids and Services Available upon Request to Individuals with Disabilities