Only in tomorrow’s AJC:
In 2010, how will Georgia’s economy rebound?
When it comes to jobs – and the economy – health care is expected to keep growing.
Construction, real estate and financial services?
Not so much.
But what about manufacturing?
It once dominated the nation’s economy, and as we enter a new year, some economists say the sector could be a critical component of growth‚ even in places such as metro Atlanta.
Advocates for manufacturing argue that the emphasis on consumption that brought about the trade deficit went hand-in-hand with the neglect of manufacturing. That is, the less we made and sold, the more we imported and borrowed.
Yet now, manufacturing could be at least a partial answer to both the scarcity of decent-paying jobs and the need to put U.S. trade in better balance.
But here, in Georgia, questions abound.
First, there’s pay: Manufacturing in Georgia on average pays 11 percent more than other jobs, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
And while manufacturing may be crucial, another larger question looms:
Is metro Atlanta a viable place to put it?
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