Economics

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson (pictured to the left of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp)called the just-concluded Red Carpet Tour the” icing on top“ for the hard-working economic leaders charged with bringing new companies to Augusta. He points to past success. “That is the hook, he told ABD from Thursday’s event near the Masters tournament. If you look around the city at some of our notable employers, whether it be Aurubis Richmond, which was one of our newest investments, or GF Castings (under construction in the Augusta Corporate Park), they came here

The first wave of golf fans will begin arriving in Augusta on Tuesday to attend the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). That kicks off the arrival of thousands of air travelers coming to Augusta for the Masters Tournament, ANWA and Drive, Chip and Putt. Funding for TSA agents is entering its second month of uncertainty. Leadership at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) is helping agents as the airport braces for its busiest time of year.  “We are concerned about the current shutdown and how it affects the TSA employees at Augusta

The last bit of economic data for 2025 was just released for the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The unemployment rate has risen from 4.1% in September to 4.5% in December. This is the highest unemployment rate across the fourteen Georgia MSAs.  There may be a good reason why Augusta “finished last.” As I previously reported, the Augusta MSA had the largest increase in employment, and the rising unemployment rate may just reflect people entering the workforce to find jobs in a relatively strong economy.  This is borne out by