Today's business weather
A weather-style barometer of hiring, investment and layoff pressure across the Augusta metro: five Georgia and two South Carolina counties. Every reading shows its source and date.
Local business forecast
CSRA Business Forecast
CSRA Business Weather at a Glance
The needle is the weighted score of labor, investment and layoff readings. See how it is set.
Start here
Tell us what you are working on and we will point you to the right part of the page.
I am hiring
See how tight the labor market is, what wages look like and what employers say.
Employer outlook · Wages · HR report · Free management training
I am starting or growing
See who is opening in Columbia County and find the free help that exists locally.
I am moving or relocating
Compare housing, pay and the industries that are adding jobs across the metro.
Housing · Industries · Peers
How to read this page · Past weekly briefs · Put the barometer on your site · Find a job · Unemployment · Layoffs · Wages
Jobs market
Unemployment was 4.0% in September, down from 4.2% a year ago. Year over year is the cleaner comparison, since the monthly rate swung from 3.3% to 4.2% this spring.
Investment
About 1,580 announced jobs in Georgia (Aurubis, GF Casting, StandardAero, Mayville) and 342 in Aiken County. Expect competition for production, maintenance and logistics workers.
Layoffs
Seven WARN notices cover 789 workers, led by Quad/Graphics in Evans (241) and Pactiv in Jackson, SC (133). Expect a pool of experienced production and packaging candidates.
An informed outlook from public data, not a guarantee.
new business licenses with start dates from Aug 7 to Sep 29, 2026.
Where they operate
22 home based, 19 storefront or office, 12 mobile, and 3 based outside the county. By city: Martinez 21, Evans 16, Grovetown 11.
What they are
Professional, admin and support services lead (13), then retail (10), food service and lodging (6), health and social care (5), and trades and construction (5).
New licenses signal new employers, and most start small. Source: Columbia County Board of Commissioners, Development Services Division, monthly report (September 2026). Counts only; shown for context and not part of the barometer score.
Hiring intentions survey
Tell us what you plan to do next.
Government data shows what already happened. This quarterly survey asks CSRA employers about hiring, pay raises and investment over the next six months. Eleven questions, about four minutes. Answers are combined and never published one by one.
Take the surveyChecking responses...
Weekly update by email
Get a short note each week on hiring, investment and layoffs across the CSRA. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
SubscribeHow the needle is set
Each reading is scored 0 to 100 by a plain rule, then weighted. Change a rule and the dial moves.
The data behind the gauges
Where the pressure isCounty unemployment rates
County unemployment rates, August 2026, not seasonally adjusted. Source: BLS via USAFacts.
| County | State | Rate | Change vs Aug 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burke | GA | 4.7% | +0.3 pts |
| Richmond | GA | 4.6% | −0.3 pts |
| Aiken | SC | 4.2% | −0.6 pts |
| McDuffie | GA | 4.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Lincoln | GA | 4.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Edgefield | SC | 3.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Columbia | GA | 3.3% | −0.2 pts |
Burke is the only county with a higher rate than a year ago. Columbia County has the tightest labor market in the metro. Changes are as reported by USAFacts.
Unemployment trendAugusta metro, 2015 to 2026
Black line: annual averages, 2015 to 2024. Green line: monthly 2026, January to September. Not seasonally adjusted.
Storm watch: WARN noticesLayoff notices, past 12 months
Notices filed between Oct 12, 2025 and Oct 12, 2026.
| Employer | Location | Notice filed | Effective | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pactiv LLC | Jackson, SC | Aug 3, 2026 | Oct 6 to Nov 20, 2026 | 133 |
| Bridgestone Golf | Augusta, GA | May 1, 2026 | Not listed | 84 |
| Chemours | Augusta, GA | Jan 5, 2026 | Not listed | 54 |
| Quad/Graphics | Evans, GA | Dec 16, 2025 | Not listed | 241 |
| SDH Service East, LLC | Augusta, GA | Nov 14, 2025 | Jan 31, 2026 | 67 |
| West Fraser, Inc. | Augusta, GA | Nov 6, 2025 | Jan 5, 2026 | 130 |
| RATP Dev USA Inc | Augusta, GA | Oct 22, 2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | 80 |
Augusta Sportswear in Grovetown (93 workers, filed Oct 7, 2025) left the 12-month window this week. RATP Dev USA was missing from earlier versions and is now counted. Wellstar announced 761 job cuts in July, but the state had received no WARN notice for Augusta and the company has not said how many are local, so they are not counted. This list comes from public WARN aggregators and the South Carolina Department of Commerce report, and may be incomplete. Georgia's own public WARN table was not current, so the live version should read the state list directly.
Fronts moving in: investmentAnnounced projects and jobs
| Project | Sector | Announced | Investment | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurubis, Richmond County GA | Metals and recycling | Ongoing | $1B+ minimum | 1,000+ |
| AmbioPharm, Aiken County SC | Pharmaceutical manufacturing | Jun 2026 | $118.96M | 202 |
| Mayville Engineering, Thomson GA | Metal fabrication | Oct 2026 | $26M | 140 |
| GF Casting Solutions, Augusta GA | Auto die casting | May 2024 | $184M | 350 |
| StandardAero, Augusta GA | Aircraft maintenance | 2024 | $33M | 90 |
| AGY, Aiken County SC | Specialty glass fibers | Nov 2025 | $12.1M | 80 |
| Rolls-Royce, Graniteville SC | Aerospace manufacturing | Jul 2025 | $75M | 60 |
Context: the Mayville figures come from the Governor's office; one news report described the project as $30 million, so the investment figure may be revised. Georgia reported $35.2 billion in new investment and 25,300 jobs statewide for fiscal year 2026. Aiken County leaders expect fewer new announcements in 2026 than in the past 18 months and are preparing the North Fork Commerce Park for the next project. Augusta was named LinkedIn's number one City on the Rise for 2026.
Business wire
Local business headlines, refreshed twice a day. Each links to the outlet that published it. Checked Nov 9, 2026, morning. Georgia Business Journal and Georgia CEO feeds were not retrieved this run.
- Nov 9Georgians face 9.5% jump in employer health costs by 2027WorkforceWRDWGeorgia
- Nov 9Augusta short-term rental questions remain openSmall businessThe Augusta PressCSRA
- Nov 9Main Street Collectibles opens in Martinez offering Disney magic to shoppers and sellers, kids and collectorsSmall businessThe Augusta PressCSRA
- Nov 9Commander Coffee hosts market for veteran-made goods, builds communitySmall businessThe Augusta PressCSRA
- Nov 8Peach Cobbler Factory welcomes customers to EvansSmall businessThe Augusta PressCSRA
- Nov 8Savannah River Site contractor reports $78 million in cost savingsInvestmentThe Augusta PressCSRA
- Nov 7Ga. hemp businesses face new THC limitsSmall businessWRDWGeorgia
- Nov 6Teckrez opens new chemical hub near Savannah portInvestmentSavannah Morning News via Georgia TrendGeorgia
- Nov 6Workforce Workshop This TuesdayWorkforceAugusta Business DailyCSRA
- Nov 6Columbia County combat veteran starts business to help area homeowners and contractorsSmall businessAugusta Business DailyCSRA
- Nov 5
- Nov 5What's it like to work at the Savannah River Site?HiringAugusta Business DailyCSRA
Sources checked: Augusta Business Daily, WRDW, The Augusta Press, Georgia Trend's statewide feed, and the Georgia Governor's Office. Google News and the Augusta Chronicle block automated reading, so Chronicle stories appear only when another feed lists them.
Know of local business news we missed? Send it in. · RSS feed · Download the data (CSV)
Weather by industry
Augusta metro nonfarm jobs by sector, August 2026, preliminary, not seasonally adjusted. Source: BLS.
| Sector | Jobs (thousands) | 12-month change | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other services | 10.6 | +9.3% | Clear ▲ |
| Education and health | 41.1 | +2.2% | Clear ▲ |
| Manufacturing | 23.2 | 0.0% | Change |
| Information | 1.6 | 0.0% | Change |
| Trade, transportation, utilities | 45.0 | −0.4% | Change |
| Leisure and hospitality | 27.8 | −0.4% | Change |
| Professional and business services | 38.0 | −0.8% | Rain ▼ |
| Government | 43.2 | −1.8% | Rain ▼ |
| Financial activities | 7.7 | −2.5% | Stormy ▼▼ |
| Construction, mining, logging | 14.7 | −4.5% | Stormy ▼▼ |
| Total nonfarm | 252.9 | −0.2% | Change |
Rule: Clear is +2.0% or more, Fair +0.5% to +2.0%, Change within 0.5% either way, Rain −0.5% to −2.0%, Stormy worse than −2.0%. No sector landed in Fair this month.
Healthcare and education carry the metro. Education and health is the only large sector adding jobs, at a 2.2 percent pace.
Manufacturing is flat at 23.2 thousand jobs. Five of the seven recent layoff notices came from plants and printers, while about 1,920 announced jobs are still ahead.
Cyber and military work is spread out. It sits across government, information, and professional services, so no single BLS line shows it.
Small sectors swing. Other services has only 10.6 thousand jobs, so treat its +9.3 percent with care.
Wage benchmarks
Mean hourly wage by job group, Augusta-Richmond County metro, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The black line marks the all-occupations mean, $28.85 (US: $33.54).
These are averages for broad groups and exclude benefits. Multiply by 2,080 hours for a full-time annual figure. BLS does not publish single jobs such as forklift operator in this release.
Calendar
Augusta Metro Chamber events and common business deadlines, October to December 2026. Event links go to the Chamber's page for details.
- Nov 2Q3 payroll tax return, Form 941, due (Oct 31 falls on a Saturday)DeadlineFederal
- Nov 3Election Day. Check voting time-off rules for Georgia and South Carolina staff.DeadlineStaffing
- Nov 3
- Nov 4Ribbon cutting: Everyday We CareOpening11:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Nov 5Ribbon cutting: Ivy Collaborative HealthcareOpening4:00 to 5:00 pm
- Nov 10Ribbon cutting: 7 BrewOpening2:00 to 3:00 pm
- Nov 12Ribbon cutting: Grazed Distilling Co.Opening4:00 to 5:00 pm
- Nov 17Women in Business, NovemberNetworking11:30 am to 1:00 pm
- Dec 2Ribbon cutting: Affordable Suites of America, AugustaOpening4:00 to 5:00 pm
- Dec 3Ribbon cutting: The Martin Walls Accounting Firm, LLCOpening4:00 to 5:00 pm
- Dec 15Women in Business, DecemberNetworking11:30 am to 1:00 pm
See all events, including job fairs, SHRM meetings and SBDC workshops · Subscribe (.ics)
Ribbon cuttings double as a signal: each one is a new or expanding local business. Tax dates are general federal dates, so confirm them with your tax professional.
Employer toolkit
Programs that can lower the cost of hiring and training in the CSRA. Terms change, so confirm details with the agency before you rely on them. This is not legal or tax advice.
Georgia Quick Start
Customized training for new, expanding, and existing Georgia businesses, provided by the Technical College System of Georgia at no cost to qualified companies. Augusta Technical College runs a local customized business services office.
Georgia Quick Start (Technical College System of Georgia) →
Georgia Jobs Tax Credit
A state credit for adding new full-time jobs in eligible industries such as manufacturing, warehousing, processing, and tourism. Tier 1 counties need 2 new jobs for the $3,500 credit, and the minimum rises to 25 jobs for the $750 credit in Tier 4. Counties are re-ranked each year, so check your county's tier. Claimed on Form IT-CA.
Employer's Jobs Tax Credit (Georgia Department of Revenue) →
retrainSC
South Carolina reimburses eligible training and education costs, up to $1,000 per eligible employee per calendar year. It covers manufacturing, processing, tech-intensive, and warehousing and distribution companies, and needs approval from the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.
More South Carolina credits
South Carolina also lists an apprenticeship credit and a small business health care credit alongside retrainSC. Aiken and Edgefield employers should review all three.
Apprenticeship Tax Credit →
Small Business Health Care Tax Credit →
Work Opportunity Tax Credit
The federal credit expired after December 31, 2025. State agencies can log requests for 2026 hires but cannot certify them unless Congress renews it. Some advisers suggest still filing Form 8850 within 28 days of a start date in case a renewal is made retroactive. Ask your tax professional.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit (U.S. Department of Labor) →
Need people now?
Peak Employment Solutions places temporary and permanent staff across the CSRA and beyond. Visit peakaugusta.com or stop by 308 Eighth Street in Augusta.
Real estate and construction
Housing readings for the Augusta metro. Listing data: Realtor.com via FRED. Permit data: Redfin via Stacker.
September 2026. Down 3.4% from $325,900 a year earlier.
Active listings in September 2026, up 18.9% from 2,468 in September 2025.
January 2026, down 4.6% from 282 in January 2025. This is the latest month in the source.
More homes for sale and softer prices point to a cooler housing market, which fits construction jobs down 4.5 percent over the year. It also gives relocating workers more choices.
Peer metros
Unemployment rate, August 2026, not seasonally adjusted. Source: BLS via USAFacts and FRED. The black line marks the national rate, 4.3%.
Augusta sits below the national rate and mid-pack among regional peers. Savannah has the tightest labor market of the group. Macon-Bibb could not be retrieved this run.