Press Release Augusta Top Ranking

10/16/2009

Walter C. Sprouse, Jr., CEcD, CCE

Development Authority of Richmond County

The following Press Release information is provided by Mr. Walter C. Sprouse, Jr., Executive Director of the Development Authority of Richmond County

AUGUSTA RANKS IN TOP 9% OF
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN USA;

TOP 20% IN USA IN RECESSION RECOVERY

The Augusta MSA is one of only 79 nationwide communities showing progress
from the nationwide recession, according to the latest Adversity Index from Moodys
Economy and MSNBC. The Adversity Index measures the economic health of 392
metro areas and all 50 states. The information was released today by the
Development Authority of Richmond County.

Additionally, Augustas Employment Growth Rank is one of the best in the
nation, standing at #36 out of 392 metro areas in the United States, according to
Moodys and MSNBC.

Each month, the Adversity Index uses data on employment, industrial
production, housing starts and home prices to label each state or metro area as
expanding, at risk of recession, in recession or recovering.

According to the latest Moodys and MSNBC Adversity Index, only 30 of the
151 metro areas of the twelve southern United Statesincluding four metro areas in
the State of Georgia, including Augustashowed recovery from the recession.

This is the first month in 2009 when any metro area has moved from
recession into the recovery category, indicating that the economy grew from six
months earlier, said Bill Dedmon, an investigative reporter with MSNBC. Out of 392
metro areas in the nation, 79 are in recovery, according to the August data on jobs,
manufacturing and housing.

The Employment Growth rankings indicate the strength of the overall
economy, and Augusta ranked in the top percentiles. Moodys and MSNBC gave
Augusta high marks for job creation and the lack of major layoffs in specific
industries. Augusta had the third highest ranking out of fourteen MSAs in the State
of Georgia, after Columbus and Warner-Robins.

Here are the metro areas in the twelve southern states where
the Adversity Index shows a recovery beginning in August:

Alabama (2 out of 12 metro areas in recovery): Huntsville; Mobile.


Arkansas (3 out of 8): Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers; Hot Springs; Little
Rock-North Little Rock.


Florida (0 out of 22).


Georgia (4 out of 15): Augusta-Richmond County; Columbus; Savannah;
Warner Robins.


Kentucky (1 out of 9): Elizabethtown.


Louisiana (2 out of 8): Baton Rouge; New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner.


Mississippi (2 out of 5): Jackson; Pascagoula.


North Carolina (3 out of 15): Goldsboro; Greenville; Winston-Salem.


South Carolina (2 out of 10): Columbia; Myrtle Beach-Conway-North
Myrtle Beach.


Tennessee (1 out of 10): Cleveland.


Texas (7 out of 26): Austin-Round Rock; Brownsville-Harlingen; Dallas-
Plano-Irving; El Paso; Lubbock; McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr; San Antonio.


Virginia (3 out of 11): Charlottesville; Harrisonburg; Virginia Beach-
Norfolk-Newport News.

Here are the Employment Growth Ranks in the United States
(1 =Best, 392=Worst), showing only the TOP FIVE of the
fourteen Georgia MSAs, in alphabetical order:

Augusta 36

Columbus 4

Hinesville 53

Savannah 98

Warner Robins 24

Return to NEWS