Atlanta’s Economy Shows Signs of Good Health in 2015
There are few things that can help an MBA program thrive more than a bustling, healthy economy in the surrounding city. In that regard, things are looking good for MBAs in the Atlanta metro area. With a low unemployment rate and predictions of huge job growth, Atlanta is poised to be strong for the coming year.
According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, job growth in the area may have its strongest year since 1996 when Atlanta hosted the Olympics. The Atlanta metro area has been steadily increasing job growth in recent years. In 2013 Atlanta added 60,000 jobs. Then they added 100,000 jobs in 2014 through November. Maci Rossel, former chief economist with CNBC, put forth a strong prediction for the coming year. Speaking to the real estate organizations CREW Atlanta and CoreNet Global’s Atlanta chapter Rossell estimated an additional 140,000 jobs in 2015.
Rossell said this growth is spurred by a number of economic factors. These include low interest rates, the fall in gasoline prices and a return of consumer confidence. The confidence in the projection is backed up by a slew of announcements. Daimler AG recently announced Atlanta as the new US headquarters of Mercedes-Benz. Last year, State Farm also announced a new campus that could employ up to 8,000 people. The number is also spurred on by big construction projects like the new ballpark for the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons’ recently-started downtown stadium.
The Georgia Department of Labor also reported Atlanta metro area’s unemployment rate for December is at 6.4 percent. The local area unemployment data is not seasonally adjusted; Atlanta held steady despite losing an average of 900 jobs from November to December.
