As it prepares to push for the next multi-billion dollar wave of expansion plans, the Atlanta airport is releasing a report showing it drives nearly a half-million jobs across the metro region.
The report also says jobs at the airport grew 9.1 percent to 63,300 over the past four years — a notably better growth rate than the metro area as a whole. Those jobs include airline, airport and contractor positions.
The growth came as the airport opened a new international terminal, and as passenger traffic resumed edging up after stalling during the recession.
All told, the report attributes about 450,000 metro region jobs to the airport directly or indirectly, from taxi drivers to hotel workers and Buckhead waiters whose businesses are fed by the daily waves of passengers. It pegs the total annual revenue generated by the airport and those jobs at $64.2 billion.
