Brunswick, Ga. – March 26, 2018 – Georgia’s ports support 439,220 full- and part-time jobs across the state, according to a study released by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at UGA’s Terry College of Business.

The Georgia Ports Authority board reviewed the study’s findings at its meeting Monday. The latest figure is based on Fiscal Year 2017 impacts, and represents an increase of 70,000 jobs (up 19 percent) compared to the previous report covering FY2014. Georgia ports now account for 9 percent of total state employment, or one out of 11 jobs. Personal income derived from port-supported jobs totaled $25 billion statewide in FY2017.

“The deepwater ports of Savannah and Brunswick are strong drivers of economic and employment opportunity across the state,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. “Bringing jobs and investment to Georgia is a central part of GPA’s mission.”

According to the report, authored by Dr. Jeffrey Humphreys, port activity accounted for 11 percent of Georgia’s total sales in FY2017, reaching $106 billion.  “Deepwater ports are one of Georgia’s strongest economic engines, fostering the development of virtually every industry,” Humphreys stated in the report. “The ports are especially supportive of other forms of transportation, manufacturing, wholesale and distribution centers, and agriculture.”

The Terry College of Business study found that maritime trade amounts to $44 billion in state gross domestic product, or 8 percent of Georgia’s total GDP. Business conducted through the ports resulted in $5.9 billion in federal taxes, $1.4 billion in state taxes and $1.5 billion in local taxes, according to the report.

“The findings are a testament to the powerful, positive impacts that trade through Georgia’s ports have – supporting not only business opportunity, but important infrastructure and services funded through tax proceeds on every level of government,” said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood.

In other business, the GPA Board heard a report on February trade through GPA terminals. In Brunswick, total auto and machinery units were up by 13.2 percent in February (5,648 units) for a total of 48,501.

“We are pleased to see our Brunswick facility performing so well,” Lynch said.

In terms of total tonnage crossing all docks and twenty-foot equivalent container units, last month was the busiest February on record. The GPA handled 2.9 million tons of cargo (up 1.5 percent) and 341,093 TEUs (up 3.2 percent) over the 28-day period.

For the fiscal year to date (July 2017-February 2018), the GPA has handled 23.1 million tons of cargo, up 1.56 million tons, or 7.3 percent. In containerized trade, the Port of Savannah has moved 2.73 million TEUs, up 212,348 or 8.4 percent.

Find print-quality images of Georgians in port-supported jobs here. Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 439,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $25 billion in income, $106 billion in revenue and $2.9 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah handled 8.5 percent of U.S. containerized cargo volume and 10 percent of all U.S. containerized exports in FY2017.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Chief Communications Officer Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855.

Port Related Jobs by Region:

Atlanta region: 209,235
Cherokee: 6,202
Clayton: 12,827
Cobb: 32,772
DeKalb: 28,797
Douglas: 3,842
Fayette: 3,948
Fulton: 77,418
Gwinnett: 34,466
Henry: 6,042
Rockdale: 2,921

Coastal region: 58,741
Bryan: 1,083
Bulloch: 4,436
Camden: 1,307
Chatham: 39,025
Effingham: 2,386
Glynn: 5,566
Liberty: 4,306
Long: 107
McIntosh: 202
Screven: 324

Northwest region: 25,844
Bartow: 4,206
Catoosa: 1,290
Chattooga: 583
Dade: 305
Fannin: 640
Floyd: 3,450
Gilmer: 678
Gordon: 2,236
Haralson: 584
Murray: 901
Paulding: 2,212
Pickens: 736
Polk: 1,016
Walker: 1,330
Whitfield: 5,677

Georgia Mountains region: 20,823
Banks: 351
Dawson: 725
Forsyth: 6,200
Franklin: 792
Habersham: 1,225
Hall: 7,275
Hart: 604
Lumpkin: 713
Rabun: 446
Stephens: 777
Towns: 323
Union: 680
White: 712

Middle Georgia: 18,540
Baldwin: 1,264
Bibb: 8,898
Crawford: 134
Houston: 4,726
Jones: 423
Monroe: 677
Peach: 866
Pulaski: 264
Putnam: 536
Twiggs: 196
Wilkinson: 557

Central Savannah River Area: 17,939
Burke: 780
Columbia: 3,329
Glascock: 47
Hancock: 146
Jenkins: 140
McDuffie: 599
Taliaferro: 25
Warren: 142
Washington: 2,980
Wilkes: 270
Richmond: 8,698
Jefferson: 648
Lincoln: 134

Northeast Georgia region: 17,726
Barrow: 1,683
Clarke: 5,409
Elbert: 693
Greene: 535
Jackson: 2,204
Jasper: 233
Madison: 394
Morgan: 694
Newton: 2,647
Oconee: 1,072
Oglethorpe: 195
Walton: 1,967

Southern Georgia: 16,439
Atkinson: 202
Bacon: 351
Ben Hill: 553
Berrien: 346
Brantley: 426
Brooks: 277
Charlton: 177
Clinch: 199
Coffee: 1,483
Cook: 341
Echols: 43
Irwin: 181
Lanier: 133
Lowndes: 4,244
Pierce: 394
Tift: 1,639
Turner: 222
Ware: 5,229

Three Rivers: 16,359
Butts: 575
Carroll: 3,581
Coweta: 3,733
Heard: 200
Lamar: 360
Meriwether: 505
Pike: 316
Spalding: 1,994
Troup: 4,534
Upson: 562

Heart of Georgia Altamaha: 13,917
Appling: 616
Bleckley: 256
Candler: 279
Dodge: 456
Emanuel: 605
Evans: 390
Jeff Davis: 3,502
Johnson: 165
Laurens: 1,627
Montgomery: 177
Tattnall: 906
Telfair: 292
Toombs: 1,047
Treutlen: 118
Wayne: 3,203
Wheeler: 120
Wilcox: 156

River Valley: 12,871
Chattahoochee: 1,045
Clay: 51
Crisp: 712
Dooly: 324
Harris: 515
Macon: 263
Marion: 129
Muscogee: 7,708
Quitman: 35
Randolph: 179
Schley: 95
Stewart: 108
Sumter: 1,371
Talbot: 83
Taylor: 208
Webster: 44

Southwest Ga.: 10,786
Baker: 53
Calhoun: 107
Colquitt: 1,204
Decatur: 724
Dougherty: 3,863
Early: 499
Grady: 566
Lee: 596
Miller: 155
Mitchell: 595
Seminole: 211
Terrell: 235
Thomas: 1,649
Worth: 329