The entire Augusta MSA has a growing population, which is young, diverse, educated and upwardly mobile. An area population of more than 600,000 and a workforce of more than 270,000 represent a strong and stable labor pool for new and expanding companies. The millennial population in Augusta has increased by more than 25% in the last 5 years.
The Augusta labor force is strong for many reasons, one being the presence of Fort Gordon, home to the US Army Cyber Command. On average, 150 military personnel separate from the military each month. Of these, 60% have a background in information technology or intellegence and 70% self report as wanting to stay in the Augusta Metro Area.
Augusta Technical College has, for many years, been the mainstay in training a highly trained workforce. Augusta Tech can train students to work in practically any field, whether it is manufacturing, distribution, cyber security, production, assembly, maintenance, and other disciplines required by today’s industry. The state’s award-winning QuickStart program guarantees a consistent supply of trained workers for new and existing industry’s fast start-ups.
Georgia is a Right-To-Work State, and union membership is significantly low. Labor-management relations are excellent in the Augusta area. Non-durable goods workers represent the majority of the union labor pool. In the last five years there has been no union activity.
Commuting Patterns
| In-Commute | Out-Commute | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident County | Number | % of Total | Work County | Number | % of Total |
| Columbia County | 31,963 | 26.9% | Columbia County | 7,317 | 9.0% |
| Aiken County | 10,586 | 8.9% | Aiken County | 5,358 | 6.6% |
| Burke County | 2,976 | 2.5% | Burke County | 1,135 | 1.4% |
| Edgefield County | 1,517 | 1.3% | McDuffie County | 250 | 0.3% |
| McDuffie County | 1,548 | 1.3% | Edgefield County | 288 | 0.4% |
| Other | 5,042 | 4.3% | Other | 1,892 | 2.3% |
| Total In-Commute | 53,632 | 45.2% | Total Out-Commute | 16,240 | 20.0% |
| Reside & Work in County | 64,997 | 54.8% | Reside & Work in County | 64,997 | 80.0% |
| Total Workforce | 118,629 | 100.0% | 81,237 | 100.0% | |
| Source: U.S. Census, Community Flows, 2013 | |||||