Economic Development

NEWS - Economic Development

SBJ Special Report

Jan 30, 2012 – According to the Georgia Dept. of Labor, Georgians who find themselves on state unemployment insurance benefits “free themselves from those benefits nearly a month sooner than the national average,” says Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

“Georgia has the lowest duration in the South for people requesting state unemployment benefits and nearly the lowest in the nation – second only to North Dakota, which has a significantly less-dense labor market,” Butler said last week.

Georgians stop their state unemployment payments sooner because the Georgia Department of Labor ties benefits to job training and to a bevy of re-employment services, he states.

“When people think of a labor department, traditionally they think of the ‘unemployment office,’” Commissioner Butler said. “In Georgia, we are trying to stop that. This is an ‘employment office.’ We strive for that designation.”

As of December 2011, the average Georgian on state unemployment insurance stopped benefits after 13.3 weeks. Nationally, the average unemployed American stayed on state benefits for 17.4 weeks. Only North Dakota came in under Georgia. “North Dakota, obviously, is a very different animal with total population under 675,000 and no metro base that can compare to Georgia’s,” according to Butler’s staff.

Currently in Georgia, the unemployed can stay on state benefits for 26 weeks before federal benefits begin.  In 2011 alone, the GDOL held several hundred career expos and hiring events in conjunction with Georgia employers and staffing agencies. The GDOL works directly with companies who have jobs to fill. This is a win-win for the Georgia work force and for companies who want to re-locate to Georgia or expand their Georgia facilities.

Career Expos can be organized for one company that has several jobs to fill or for a group of companies looking for a base of potential employees. Industries that worked with the GDOL in 2011 included retail companies, restaurants, communications companies, insurance companies, medical groups, auto detailing shops and pet care organizations.

An example of this private/public partnership occurred on Dec. 14 when Statesboro trailer manufacturer Great Dane held a Career Expo set up by the GDOL. Great Dane had 400 jobs to fill for a new 450,000 sq. ft. plant. On the day of the expo, people began to line up at 4 a.m. By noon, 1,500 prospective employees were in the process. Ultimately, 3,500 people submitted applications.

The GDOL assisted Great Dane officials by screening applicants and pointing the hiring staff in the direction of the most qualified job seekers for the available positions. Kevin Black, Great Dane’s plant manager in Statesboro, said he was impressed by the number of quality people the GDOL could draw.

“This type of service is the reason companies are looking to Georgia when they want to relocate,” Commissioner Butler said. “This is why we encourage Georgia companies to come to this department when they are ready to expand.”

GDOL also steps in immediately when a company faces a lay-off. The fast response helps the newly unemployed receive benefits, if they are eligible, and immediately helps them begin the process of finding another job.

 “From the minute the words ‘lay-off’ are first considered, we have professionals who can work with the employees to assess their skills, put them on the track for a new job, or to sign them up for retraining,” Commissioner Butler said. “Often retraining, whether on-the-job, or at a local college or tech school, can be paid through the labor department. These people are on a fast track towards re-hire. That is why Georgians, on average, do not stay on state unemployment insurance for very long.”

A list of upcoming career expos is available online at http://www.dol.state.ga.us/Access/Service/ListCurrentJobFairs.

NEWS - Economic Development

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 23, 2012 - The City of Savannah has announced a new incentive for business owners and professionals who have offices within the incorporated limits of Savannah in neighborhoods that are economically challenged.  The goal is to retain businesses within the city limits in these areas.

The new incentive, called the Economic Development Credit, reduces their Business Tax Certificate fees by 50% in Year 1; 30% in Year 2, and 20% in Year 3.

The incentive is allowed under Article Y, Section 19 of the City of Savannah Revenue Ordinance, according to city officials.

To qualify, a business owner or professional must have:

- a valid Business Tax Certificate from 2010,

- employ a minimum of two full-time permanent employees (excluding spouses and dependents), - have a business location in one of five targeted corridors (listed below) or operate a business within one of the city’s three Enterprise Zones.

The ‘targeted corridors’ are:

- Waters Avenue (north of East Victory Drive),

- Wheaton Street

- Augusta Avenue (between East Lathrop and 516)

- Ogeechee Road (between West Anderson and West Victory Drive)

- West Bay Street (between East Lathrop and 516)

The city’s Enterprise Zones are:

- Sustainable Fellwood (East Bay to Richard, between Ferrill and West)

- Pennsylvania Avenue (Greenwood to Mississippi)

- MLK/Montgomery (MLK-West Charlton to West 52nd / Montgomery-West Gaston to West 52nd)

For more information, contact the Department of Economic Development at 912-651-3653 or

by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Economic Development Credit application and maps of  the seven qualifying locations are posted on that department’s website.

NEWS - Economic Development

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 16, 2012 – The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) will host an online chat about “Surviving a Layoff” on Weds, Jan. 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the GDOL website www.dol.state.ga.us, according to State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.  

The 90-minute, question-and-answer chat is called “Ask T.E.D.” (Type, Explore, Discover).  A panel of experts will provide information on dealing with unemployment, networking, locating financial and job search resources, preparing for job interviews, retooling and setting goals, conducting self-assessments, recognizing the dos and don’ts of job search, developing effective job search documents, understanding labor market information, and identifying retraining opportunities.

People who wish to submit questions in advance to be answered during the chat may do so on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Georgia.Department.of.Labor and Twitter at @GeorgiaDOL. To sign up for a reminder, or to join the chat, go to the Spotlight or Quick Links sections on the GDOL website at www.dol.state.ga.us

Previous chats can also be replayed from the Spotlight section of the department’s website by clicking on the “Chat with an Expert: Replay” link. The topics previously covered include “Starting Your Own Business,” “Services for Veterans,” “Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities,” “Workforce Development,” “Making the Most of GDOL’s Online Services,” “GDOL Services for Businesses,” “Job Searching in a Tight Economy,” “Options for Your Next Career,” and “Resumes.”

NEWS - Economic Development

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 9. 2012 - Together with the first-ever Consul General of India in Atlanta, Ajit Kumar, Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that the Government of India has opened its first consulate office in Georgia as of the start of the new year.

“This marks a significant milestone in Georgia’s international evolution,” said Deal. “The Consulate General is the crowning symbol of the dynamic business and cultural connections India shares with our region and state.”

In addition to Georgia, the Atlanta office will serve the states of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Kumar, who has previously served as the Indian consul general in Frankfurt, Germany, and Durban, South Africa, and as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Zimbabwe, will lead a team of 20 full-time employees. The consulate’s primary focus, aside from consular services, will be trade and investment, which will greatly enhance and encourage opportunities for commerce between Georgia and India. It will also serve the approximately 100,000 Indian nationals living in Georgia and roughly 290,000 across the Southeast with services such as visas, passports and other documents.

“This is a proud day for the State of Georgia, whose longtime efforts to locate an Indian Consulate General for the Southeastern United States in Atlanta culminated in the Indian government’s 2008 announcement of its intentions,” Deal said. “Despite the worldwide economic crisis, all parties have pressed forward vigorously to realize this purpose. The Indian Consulate is a vital addition to Atlanta’s consular corps and community of trade commissions and bi-national chambers of commerce, which already represents more than 70 other countries and is a key component of Georgia’s diversity and international success.”

NEWS - Economic Development

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 9, 2012 – The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Economic Outlook Luncheon is this Wednesday, Jan 11 at 11:30 a.m. at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. 

The state, regional and national forecast will be given by Robert T. Sumichrast, Dean of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.  The local Savannah area forecast will be presented by Dr. Michael Toma, Armstrong Atlantic State University.                         

The title sponsor this year is Gulfstream, with SunTrust Bank and Savannah Tire as sponsors as well.

NEWS - Economic Development

SDN Staff Report

Jan 9, 2012 -  As Black History Month approaches in February, the U.S. Census Dept. has released figures on the U.S. cities that have the largest percentages of African American residents a percentage of total population. 

Black History Months was established by American historian Carter G. Woodson to commemorate and celebrate the contributions to the U.S. made by people of African descent, initially establishing Black History Week on Feb. 12, 1926.

For many years, the second week of February was set aside for this celebration to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

In 1976, as part of the nation's bicentennial, the week was expanded into Black History Month. Each year, U.S. presidents proclaim February as National African-American History Month.

In total, there are 42 million people in the U.S. identified as African American - the number of people who identified as black, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, in the 2010 Census. They make up 13.6 percent of the total U.S. population. The black population grew by 15.4 percent from 2000 to 2010.

The projected black population of the United States (including those of more than one race) for July 1, 2050, is projected to hold at 15 percent of the nation's total population.

The black population in New York led all states in 2010. The other nine states in the top 10 were Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, North Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio.

Mississippi (36 percent) led the nation in this category followed by Louisiana (33 percent), Georgia (32 percent), Maryland (31 percent), South Carolina (29 percent) and Alabama (27 percent).

The city of Detroit had the highest percentage of people who identified as black, which is the highest percentage nationally among places with populations of 100,000 or more.  It was followed by Jackson, Miss. (80.1 percent), Miami Gardens, Fla. (77.9 percent), Birmingham, Ala. (74.0 percent), Baltimore, (65.1 percent), Memphis, Tenn. (64.1 percent), New Orleans (61.2 percent), Flint, Mich. (59.5), Montgomery Ala. (57.4 percent) and Savannah, Ga. (56.7 percent).

NEWS - Economic Development

By Lou Phelps, SBJ Staff

Jan 4, 2012 - Economic forecasters expected U.S. gross domestic product growth of 3 to 4 percent in 2011, after it had expanded at an average 3 percent quarterly annualized rate in the second halves of 2009 and 2010. But this year, the economy "continued to undergo significant adjustments and face shocks that have battered the rebound in economic growth," according to Federal Reserve policy specialist Laurel Graefe, providing a financial analysis of 2011 in the Reserve’s most recent issue of EconSouth.

A series of events in the early part of 2011 were a drag on economic growth and caused consumer and business sentiment to decline. The U.S. economy suffered a number of shocks early in the year, including the spillover effects from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March, oil and commodity price spikes, and the political standoff over raising the federal debt ceiling, which resulted in Standard & Poor's downgrading of the U.S. credit rating.

The linchpin of the economic recovery is consumer sentiment, which "both reacts to and affects the strength of the economy," notes Graefe. Households are under pressure from high debt burdens, constrained credit, depressed home values, and high unemployment, among other things. These concerns are reflected in the University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index, which experienced a dramatic decline during the third quarter, she writes.

Inflation was another concern for much of the year, as it trended above the Financial Open Market Committee's (FOMC) long-term objective of 2 percent or less. The upswing in commodity prices and a temporary increase in auto prices (due to the Japanese crisis) contributed to higher inflation. However, longer-term inflation expectations stayed relatively anchored, and the slack in labor markets is likely to hold back further inflationary pressures in 2012, she states. Participants in the November 2011 FOMC meeting expected inflation as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index to fall into the 1.4 to 2 percent range.

Meanwhile, the economic growth will likely continue to be restrained in 2012. Even this modest forecast is vulnerable. "Most economists' assessments of the risk to the growth and employment outlook are weighed to the downside," Graefe notes. Several factors, including financial market volatility, joblessness, and weak consumer confidence, make the U.S. economy vulnerable to further shocks.

Her full report is available at http://www.frbatlanta.org/documents/pubs/econsouth/11q4_reluctant_recovery.pdf.

NEWS - Economic Development

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 4, 2011 - The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced today that Mark Lytle, formerly Director of GDEcD’s Foreign Direct Investment team, became Division Director of the Georgia Centers of Innovation (COI) on Jan. 1.

Lytle will provide strategic oversight and general management of the COI program, which accelerates the growth of six of the state’s strategic industries: aerospace, agribusiness, energy, life sciences, logistics and advanced manufacturing. He has been with the department since 2002 and has helped support the location of more than 40 companies and $1 billion investment in Georgia.

Most recently, he has served as Director of International Investment, managing teams based in Georgia and its international offices in Beijing, London, Munich, Seoul and Tokyo. Prior to that, Lytle was Director of Statewide Projects, and was responsible for domestic and international project assignments as well as managing the statewide project managers.

From 2006 until 2008, Lytle led the team responsible for recruiting Kia suppliers to Georgia. Before joining GDEcD, he was President and COO of Williams Power Corp., a nationwide industrial construction company, and Senior Vice President of Business Development at Law Engineering (now MACTEC), a global engineering company. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“Mark Lytle is absolutely the right person to lead the Centers of Innovation,” said Chris Cummiskey, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “His broad diversity of experience in economic development and the private business sector gives him a unique perspective on the value the Centers of Innovation program can bring to companies and on its role in growing Georgia’s economy.”

Launched in 2003, the centers are located across the state and connect high growth-potential companies with university research and industry expertise as well as other Georgia resources, resulting in long-term job growth and increased statewide investment. A common goal of the centers is to help commercialize new products, services and business models in these industries.

The Centers of Innovation program is housed at GDEcD, ensuring a continued close-knit partnership with GDEcD’s industry-focused business recruitment and expansion teams and remaining an integral resource for companies seeking to grow in the state. 

In July 2011, the Centers of Innovation were integrated with the programs of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), which came under the umbrella of the Department of Economic Development. He succeeds Sidney W. Elliott, Director of Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation for the GRA, who served as interim director of the Centers of Innovation prior to his retirement at the end of 2011.