
Simon Says: Big swing in jobs in Augusta
The Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the highest employment growth of all Georgia metro areas in 2025. Did that trend continue from January to June of this year? The answer is a resounding “no.” In the first six months of 2026, employment in Augusta fell by 300 to 253,900 in June. The state of Georgia, including non-metro areas, added 5,800 jobs so far this year, and 5,200 of them were in Atlanta. Other metro areas to add jobs were Athens and Columbus, both +700, while Valdosta added 600. Warner
