Fastest Growing Occupations Occupations with the

Most Annual Openings

Georgia
Structural Metal Fabricators & Fitters

Hot Netw ork Systems & Data Comm Analysts

5.5%

5.1%
Retail Salespersons 360
Area Workforce Trends
Home Health Aides 5.1% Cashiers 310
Paving, Surfacing, & Tamping Equipment
Operators
4.9% Comb Food Prep & Serv Workers, Incl Fast Food 250 Projections to 2014
Pipelayers 4.7% Waiters & Waitresses 230

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers,
4.4% 200
Hand

WIA Area #9 – NE Georgia

Tenders
Hot Elem School Teachers, Except Special Ed 180
Hot Cost Estimators 4.2%
Weld, Solder, & Brazing Machine Setters, Teacher Assistants 140
4.1%
Operators, & Tenders
Hot General & Operations Managers 140
Machinists 4.1%
Customer Service Representatives 130
Hot Computer Softw are Engineers, Applications 4.1% Janitors & Cleaners, Exc Maids & Housekeeping
130
Cleaners
Medical Assistants 4.1% Hot Sales Reps, Whlsl & Mfg, Exc Tech & Scientific
120
Products
Hot Physician Assistants 4.0%
Hot Registered Nurses 120

Hot Netw ork & Computer Systems Administrators 3.9% Team Assemblers 120
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators,
3.9% Truck Drivers, Heavy & Tractor-Trailer 110
Metal
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, & Brazers 3.9% Child Care Workers 110

Hot Computer Softw are Engineers, Systems Office Clerks, General 110
3.9%
Softw are
Stock Clerks & Order Fillers 110

These fast-growing occupations will have better employ-

ment prospects than occupations with slow or declining
employment. Also, conditions will be more favorable for
mobility and advancement.
Five of the fastest growing occupations are computer-related
and three are in the healthcare industry.
Most of the job openings in this list will result from the
need to replace workers who change jobs rather than from
new job creation.
This area is made of 12 counties in northeast Georgia in and around
the city of Athens. It includes the following counties: Barrow, Clarke,
Ten require short-term on-the-job training of one month or Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee,
less. Oglethorpe and Walton.

Eleven of these occupations do not require any formal edu-
cation beyond high school.
Six have earned the “HOT” label on a statewide basis for
this period.
On a statewide level, four of these occupations have been
designated “HOT” for the 2004-2014 projections period.
Workforce Information & Analysis Division
Although these occupations have many projected annual open- Georgia Department of Labor
ings, more than half of them pay less than average wages. Michael L. Thurmond
Commissioner
 Total Industry Growth Industry Rate of Growth Occupations with the
Total employment in WIA Area #9 is expected to grow from The area’s economy is currently growing slightly faster than
Most Job Growth
more than 185,000 jobs in 2004 to more than 225,000 by the Georgia’s overall, with expected job growth of 2.0 percent per
year 2014, which equates to almost 4,000 new jobs added each year over the next ten years, as compared to 1.7 percent for the Retail Salespersons 1,510

year. The area is home to the state’s flagship university, the state. Comb Food Prep & Serv Workers, Incl Fast Food 1,080
University of Georgia. The main industries are higher educa-
Hot Elem School Teachers, Exc Special Ed 950
tion, health services, agriculture, nonmetallic mineral product The ten fastest growing industries in this area are listed below.
manufacturing, wood product manufacturing, and to a lesser Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand 940

degree, poultry processing. Fabricated Metal Product Mfg 7.6% Waiters & Waitresses 890

Customer Service Representatives 890

The top ten industries in this area with the most job growth are Warehousing & Storage 7.6% Janitors & Cleaners, Exc Maids & Housekeeping
830
listed below. Cleaners

Whlsl Electronic Markets & Agents & Hot General & Operations Managers 810
6.3%
Brokers
Educational Services 6,900 Teacher Assistants 800

Heavy & Civil Engineering Construction 6.1% Hot Registered Nurses 700

Administrative & Support Services 5,100

Cashiers 690
Internet Serv Providers, Web Search
5.7%
Portals, & Data Proc Srvs Truck Drivers, Heavy & Tractor-Trailer 690
Food Services & Drinking Places 4,140
Hot Sales Reps, Whlsl & Mfg, Exc Tech & Scientific
680
Waste Management & Remediation Service 5.4% Products

Fabricated Metal Product Mfg 1,800 Construction Laborers 620

Lessors of Nonfinan Intang Assets (exc
5.3%
Copyrighted Works) Team Assemblers 570
Local Government, Excl Education &
1,730
Hospitals
Administrative & Support Services 5.0%

Specialty Trade Contractors 1,640

Heavy & Civil Engineering Construction
Ambulatory Health Care Services
General Merchandise Stores
Self-Employed & Unpd Family Workers
Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, &
4.4%
These 15 occupations – out of more than 700 - are projected
Related to more than 12,500 jobs over the next 10 years, about one-
1,600 Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book, & Music
third of all projected job growth in this area.
4.3%
Stores
Seven occupations require short-term on-the-job training of
1,580
one month or less and three require a college degree.
For copies of the Georgia Career Planner,
1,520 Georgia Workforce Trends or this publication, Four of these occupations have made the coveted list of
call 404/232-3875 or contact your local Georgia’s “HOT” Careers to 2014 for their fast job growth,
1,320
Department of Labor office. high wages, and plentiful job openings during this series of
projections.