Workforce Report Shows Positive Sign in Job Recruitment for Key Industries

ATLANTA, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A workforce trends report, issued today by the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), shows that online job postings in metro Atlanta have grown 4.5 times faster than postings nationally in the areas of supply chain and logistics, technology and bioscience.

"The report gives us confirmation of where the jobs are, and the growth of metro Atlanta's key industries," said Phil Martens, CEO of Novelis, Inc., and chair of MAC's Workforce Council. "MAC has its finger on the pulse of job activity in metro Atlanta."

MAC's Workforce Council commissioned Burning Glass International, a labor data firm, to review all advertised job openings in key strategic industries from May 2012-May 2013 in the 28-county metro Atlanta statistical area.  

Metro Atlanta is establishing itself as a digital media super hub with almost twice as many digital media job postings per capita as the rest of the nation. There were more than 28,000 digital media job postings in the last 12 months, which represents 48 percent growth in advertised positions over the last two years.

Supply chain/logistics/distribution job postings grew nationally at a rate of 36 percent from 2010 – 2012. However, in metro Atlanta that growth rate was 115 percent over the same period.

There were also large spikes in recruitment in other MAC targeted industries. There was a 202% increase in the number of advertised positions in the mobility sector from 2010 – 2012. And as the nation's health IT capital, Atlanta continues to surge with 167% growth in health IT-related job postings over the same period.

Martens added, "The goal of this report was to assess the demand for talent, and then determine the skills needed to fill the positions."

"One of the most significant findings of the report showed that in 2010, there were 247,283 total jobs posted in metro Atlanta in all sectors.  In 2012, there were 410,571, a 60 percent increase," said Sam A. Williams, MAC president. "The increase demonstrates that metro Atlanta continues to be a thriving hub for business, especially in key industry sectors."

In addition to details on a year's worth of job postings in metro Atlanta's most competitive, high-growth industries, the report also includes:

• Quantitative ranking of Atlanta's job postings against other U.S. metro areas
• Listing of the top job titles within each industry
• Listing of the top employers that published the openings
• A record of the educational requirements and, where applicable, the certifications and skills listed

"This report helps our universities and colleges continue to connect with Georgia companies to provide a more competitive workforce," said Dr. Houston David, University System of Georgia's Chief Academic Officer and Executive Vice Chancellor and member of MAC's Workforce Council. "Metro Atlanta's diverse and growing employer base continues to attract and retain talented graduates and provides opportunities for our best and brightest to stay in Georgia."

In tandem with the Workforce Trends Report, MAC also launched a workforce database. The site is geared toward the CEO, CIO, HR professional or other senior staffer involved in hiring and staffing, but casual browsers are also welcomed. This inventory is the largest and most comprehensive listing of those resources for several of the fastest-growing industry sectors in the region. These include: digital media and gaming, financial transactions processing, healthcare IT, internet security, logistics/distribution, software development, supply chain software and wireless/mobility.

"Between the report and the database, we now know where the growing jobs are and the skills needed to fill those positions," said Scott Burton, managing director at Whitaker-Taylor, and MAC's Workforce Council co-chair. "Our goal with the database is to link employers to tools that can help fill job openings with talented, capable employees. The exact talent we need to grow our company."

The database was developed by MAC's Workforce Council, in partnership with the Atlanta Regional Commission's Workforce Solutions team, and can be accessed at: http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/economic-development/workforce-development

About the Metro Atlanta Chamber
Everything we do at the Metro Atlanta Chamber is about building our economy and creating prosperity to help Atlanta thrive. Our board is made up of Atlanta's top business leaders. Our professional staff serves 4,000 member companies that employ nearly 1 million workers. We focus on helping small businesses and mid-size companies grow and recruiting companies nationally and internationally in our key industries. For more information, visit www.metroatlantachamber.com.

SOURCE Metro Atlanta Chamber