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Economics
B2B Stories

Multimillion-dollar CSRA business gets help from local college and foundation

The inventory value of horses and their equipment in Aiken County is $68 million. The horse business includes stabling, saddles and bridles, feed, workout rings, riding apparel, and farrier fees, not to mention the visitors who spend money attending polo and steeplechase events. This fall, Aiken Technical College partnered with the Aiken Horse Park Foundation to create a new equine technician course through the College’s Office of Continuing Education. The inaugural cohort of students were recognized during a completion ceremony yesterday at Great Oaks Equine Assisted Programs location, 1123 Edgefield Highway

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mitzi-oxford December 6, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Georgians could see a drop in personal income taxes

Gov. Brian Kemp has announced a goal to speed up the reduction in personal income taxes that was approved last year. The process will mean amending HB 1437 during the 2024 session of the General Assembly that begins in January. It provided for stepping down the income tax rate by ten basis points incrementally, beginning in 2025 and continuing by 0.1% annually until the rate, currently 5.75% on incomes over $7,000 a year, reaches 4.99%. “When I signed the largest income tax cut in state history in 2022, I did

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dana-lynn-mcintyre December 5, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Forecasting the economic future of the CSRA

While it may seem that the economic picture for Augusta is about as clear as the muddy banks of the Savannah River, there are a few signs of hope for 2024. One of the sure bets is learning the ups and downs of the Labor Market Index (LMI), Leading Economic Index (LEI), measuring the value of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), among many other contributing factors, and how those will impact your business in 2024. Dr. Simon Medcalfe is a Professor of Economics and Finance at the James M. Hull College of Business at

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mitzi-oxford December 5, 2023 No Comments
B2B Podcasting

Ready to work

See how the Augusta Technical College is using a new platform to help students find jobs in today’s edition of BizBits with Mike Petchenik.

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Mike Petchenik December 5, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

For employers, it’s a war out there!

The Georgia Chamber Foundation has issued its 4th quarter economic report, and the title, the War for Talent, sums up what the state is facing. The report looks at where Georgia stands in filling current job openings and anticipating future needs. It states that Georgia’s current workforce participation rate is about 61%, meaning 40% of adults are not engaged in the workforce. That translates to 3.2 million Georgians. At the same time, there are more than 350,000 job openings in each quarter. The Chamber Foundation says the War for Talent

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dana-lynn-mcintyre December 4, 2023 No Comments
B2B Podcasting

Sparkling holiday shopping news

The weather outside was not frightful and the shopping was delightful for retailers between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Mike Petchenik has a sled full of good news in today’s Biz Bits.

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mike-petchenik December 4, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Finally, a small ray of light in the recent LMI report

Editor’s note: If you read Dana Lynn McIntyre’s story from the Georgia Chamber Foundation, you know the struggle is real for finding workers. However, there is a bright spot in the latest employment numbers for Augusta. The Augusta Labor Market Index increased 0.2 percent in October from September. This constitutes five consecutive months of growth. The index now stands 0.3 percent higher than a year ago, the first time it has shown year-on-year growth since October 2022. Three components of the index grew month-on-month. Employment increased by 1,000 to stand

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dr-simon-medcalfe December 4, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Robust sales report kicks off Christmas buying

Gloomy predictions for a less-than-healthy holiday sales season were dispelled by a report this week from the National Retail Federation (NRF). During the five-day period from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, NRF found a record 200.4 million consumers hit stores and websites. That surpasses last year’s 196.7 million and far exceeds the NRF’s prediction of 182 million shoppers. “We attribute that turnout to a number of factors certainly,” said NRF President and CEO, Matthew Shay. “It speaks to the way consumers are feeling, but also the deals that were out

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Dana Lynn McIntyre November 29, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Making sure Georgia gets a big bang for its buck

There’s no doubt that tax incentives have been effective in attracting new businesses in the CSRA and across the state, but a panel of Georgia lawmakers is holding meetings to make sure there is a balance. The Joint Tax Credit Review panel is an offshoot of the 2023 legislative session. The credits are to attract new businesses to locate in the Peach State. Elected officials want to determine which credits are working, which aren’t, and if any need to be revised or terminated. “They are designed to stimulate economic growth.

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Dana Lynn McIntyre November 27, 2023 No Comments
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