The Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) ended the year with another record employment level. In December, there were 248,400 people employed in the area, the highest on record. Six months in 2025 had record employment, and nine months saw month-on-month employment growth. It may have been ten without Hurricane Helene. Over the year, employment grew by 2,800, or 1.1%.
One of my favorite podcasts is a BBC show called More or Less. They like to ask, “Is that a big number?,” in other words, what is the context or comparison? Last year, Georgia employment grew by 1.2%, so the Augusta number is just about average. The fastest percentage growth in employment was in Albany at 2.9%, followed by Warner Robins and Valdosta which both saw growth in excess of 2%. Dalton was the only MSA to see employment fall in 2024.
Along with Augusta, eight other MSAs (Athens, Atlanta, Brunswick, Gainesville, Hinesville, Rome, Savannah, and Warner Robins) recorded record employment at some point in 2024. Macon and Valdosta just missed record employment numbers by 600 and 100, respectively. Despite the highest percentage growth rate in employment this year, Albany is still someway off its peak from 2006. Columbus and Dalton have to go back to the turn of the century for their record employment.
So, are the Augusta numbers big numbers? Not really, they are on a par with the state of Georgia which has been seeing record employment since late 2021. The national labor market has remained strong through 2024, and a rising tide lifts all boats (except Dalton’s).
