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Augusta's GDP Slowdown Forces Hard Choices on Education, Inequality
The latest forecast breakfast highlighted slower real growth and uneven county performance, setting up choices for local leaders on workforce development.
How we reported this
The 18th annual Economic Forecast Breakfast at Augusta University delivered a detailed look at the local economy on Dec. 2, with nominal GDP for the Augusta area reported at about $37 billion.
The presentation arrives as Augusta officials and business groups weigh investments in training programs and infrastructure that could shape job growth over the next several years. Real economic performance, adjusted for inflation, matters more than headline dollar figures because it shows whether the region is actually producing more goods and services.
County-level patterns shape local planning
Richmond County accounts for roughly 44 percent of the region’s economic output, while Columbia and Burke counties have each doubled their real GDP over the past 25 years. These differences influence where new commercial projects and workforce initiatives are likely to land. The James M. Hull College of Business hosted the event, which drew campus leadership, faculty, staff, students and Augusta community members and receives support from a Wells Fargo endowment.
Undergraduate researchers Kacey Axon and Brandon Day assisted with data analysis. Axon’s work examined county-level income and output across Georgia and found that places with higher income inequality expand more slowly because limited opportunities hold back broader progress. She extended the review nationally to factors such as education access and labor-market conditions.
Next steps for Augusta decision makers
Local leaders can use the findings to prioritize education access and efforts that narrow income gaps, both of which the analysis linked to steadier growth. Augusta’s real GDP has risen about 1.5 percent per year since 2001, below the national 2.2 percent pace, so choices made now on training pipelines and business retention will determine whether the gap narrows. The full presentation coverage appears at jagwire.augusta.edu/annual-economic-forecast-breakfast-offers-snapshot-of-the-local-economy/.