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Economics
B2B Stories

Simon Says: 3-year high—CSRA jobs update

The national unemployment rate in June hit 4.1%. While still historically low, it represents the first time in 30 months that the unemployment rate exceeded 4.0%, going back to November 2021. In the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has also risen recently. It hit 4.0% in June, up 0.4 percentage points since March. The last time the unemployment rate was 4.0% was three years ago in June 2021 (see graph below). Across the counties of the MSA, unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) have increased quite dramatically

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe August 5, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

August in Augusta: $4.2 Million

Augusta is known as the Cyber City and this month, there will be a financial bump for the community, thanks to a big conference in the middle of the month. Tourism professionals from Destination Augusta and the Augusta Sports Council estimate that about 8,255 visitors will be attending meetings, reunions, events, and sporting events in Augusta’s River Region and will generate at least $4,183,810 in total estimated economic impact (EEI) in August 2024. More than 3/4’s of the economic impact will come from a week-long conference at Tech Net Augusta

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Staff Report August 4, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Leading the way in workforce development and education

Editor’s note: As Dr. Rick Franza reported, Georgia is once again getting high marks as one of America’s Top States for Business. This story follows up on how Augusta is plugging into the Education and Workforce rankings. Two of Georgia’s highest rankings put the Augusta metro at the forefront of the Education and Workforce categories with rankings of #8 and #4 respectively. “Workforce, obviously from the Chamber’s perspective, it’s comforting to see that we ranked fourth overall in the workforce,” Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber

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Dana Lynn McIntyre July 16, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

#4 in 2024: Georgia’s ‘Top State for Business’ Streak Continues

Last week, CNBC released its 2024 list of “America’s Top States for Business,” which ranks all fifty states. CNBC has been publishing this annual list since 2007 and for the 17th consecutive year (there was no published list in 2020), Georgia has ranked in the Top Ten, including a ranking of fourth both this year and last. While CNBC regularly makes changes to both the metrics and their relative weights used to determine the rankings, it is a credit to our state that it consistently remains highly ranked. There is

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Dr. Rick Franza July 16, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Improving how to move freight through Georgia

The local organization tasked with looking at current transportation issues, while planning for the future, is seeking public input for an update on moving freight. The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is in the process of updating the Regional Freight Plan. It will be the first update since 2008. The ARTS MPO works within the Augusta Planning and Development Department to address transportation across Richmond and Columbia counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. It is more than 800 square miles with

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Dana Lynn McIntyre July 15, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Road Construction Flips Festival Venue

Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival will be returning to Broad Street and the Augusta Common on September 20 – 22 this year. The decision to move back was made after the road construction schedule for Telfair Street was announced last week. The Telfair Street construction would have impacted the festival site. Road construction on Broad Street, which had initially prompted the relocation, will now start in 2025. The festival will feature over 150 juried Fine Arts and Crafts artists this year, with artists coming from all over the

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Staff Report July 15, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Bouncing the way to major economic impact

North Augusta is preparing to welcome one of the CSRA’s most popular, and economically significant, events back to Riverview Park. The 2024 Nike EYBL Peach Jam Basketball Tournament kicks off on July 12. This marks the 28th year the city has hosted the tournament which began as the Peach Basket Classic in 1996. It began as a four-day event, expanded to a weeklong tournament and this year is growing again. “New this year is the event will last 10 days, July 12 through the 21st,” Rick Meyer, Director of Parks,

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Dana Lynn McIntyre July 11, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

AU dean believes trains are in Augusta’s future

Editor’s Note: Augusta hasn’t had passenger train service since 1966 when Southern Railways’ “Augusta Special” was running to East Coast destinations. Is it time to bring back that transit option? Recent announcements from both of Georgia’s senators caught the interest of a dean at Augusta University. In a December news release, Senators Jon Ossoff (D) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D) announced grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to study the feasibility of three new passenger rail corridors connecting Georgia with cities in North Carolina and Tennessee. The lines would connect

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Dana Lynn McIntyre July 9, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Nike Peach Jam highlights $20 million month

About $18 million of tourism spending will be circulating around the CSRA, thanks to the Nike Peach Jam and Peach Invitational Tournament later in July—according to Destination Augusta and the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The tourism arms of Augusta expect more than 16.000 visitors attending those sporting events, meetings, and reunions in July, with a projection of $20,409,989 in economic impact. This includes eight family reunions and many other events and workshops. According to DA and GASC, there are nearly 30,000 jobs that are part of the Leisure and Hospitality

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Neil Gordon July 7, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Reviewing challenges for Augusta’s next air show

On the heels of Augusta Regional Airport’s 2024 Air Show, members of the Aviation Commission are looking at how to prepare for next year. Tim Weegar, airport Deputy Director and Director of Operations, began with a brief update on last month’s air show for members of the Air Services/Air Show Committee. “From the operations side, it was good,” he began. “We didn’t get fussed at by Homeland Security. We were able to make some better connections with their internal security and our security. So, as far as the operational side,

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Dana Lynn McIntyre June 30, 2024 No Comments
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