Last week, I reported that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the metro area increased by 0.5% in 2022, however, that growth is not spread evenly across the seven counties. The economy of four counties grew, while three counties shrank. The fastest growth was seen in Edgefield County at 4.6 percent. Lincoln, Richmond, and Aiken counties also grew. The economies of Burke, Columbia, and McDuffie counties shrank. Edgefield’s growth was most pronounced in manufacturing, which increased by 25 percent from 2021. In durable goods, manufacturing output increased by 51.6 percent.

The latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report a healthy jump in Edgefield County’s Gross Domestic Product. Dr. Simon Medcalfe, economics professor at Augusta University and contributor to Augusta Business Daily, reviewed the data and found that Edgefield County is leading the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Overall, Medcalfe said the GDP in the seven-county metro area grew by 0.5% in 2022. The economies of Burke, Columbia, and McDuffie counties shrank, while Richmond, Lincoln, Aiken, and Edgefield counties grew. “The fastest growth was seen in Edgefield