Why it Matters

Georgia’s manufacturing industry is redefining career opportunities across the state. Careers in manufacturing offer clean, safe, advanced-skills development and high-growth opportunities, with increasing talent needs.

The Research

Georgia’s manufacturing sector produces nearly 10% of the state’s GDP and employs nearly 9% of Georgia’s workforce¹. Manufacturing is Georgia’s fourth largest, and sixth fastest growing industry, with a projected 10% growth in jobs over the next 10 years². In particular, Georgia’s advanced manufacturing sector is expanding, offering a significant number of innovative and high-skill career opportunities. Additionally, 70% of occupations in the manufacturing industry require only some college or form of technical training, enabling multiple career entry points, and offering average wages of $84,000 per worker³, and career advancement opportunities over time.

Global volatility and supply chain disruptions in the past five years have lessened, but many manufacturers continue to struggle with talent acquisition⁴. Programs such as Georgia QuickStart and Be Pro Be Proud aim to better engage available talent in manufacturing careers, and new initiatives like Georgia Match provide additional resources to K-12 students who are looking to pursue the best-fit post-secondary opportunities available.

Why it Matters to Your Business

Georgia’s manufacturing industry underpins an ecosystem of suppliers, logistics specialists, and local economies. Growth in this sector bolsters the state’s economy and creates additional opportunities for your business.

What You Can Do

• Engage with manufacturers in talent and workforce conversations to better identify your community’s talent needs. 

 What Georgia Can Do

• Continue to support talent on-ramps for the manufacturing industry for both post-secondary students and returning students.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen and reconfigure existing up-skilling and re-skilling programs to align with current industry needs.  

 The Big Picture

Expanding the pool of skilled manufacturing talent in the state benefits all companies and strengthens the industry ecosystem statewide. This bolsters Georgia’s national reputation, sustaining economic development, which strengthens the state economy.