Augusta trailed only Idaho’s Boise City-Nampa metro area for growth in high-tech employment between 2006 and 2011, with an increase of 81.9 percent, according to the study. Metro Augusta ranked 12th nationwide in high-tech job growth from 2010-11.
Mayor Deke Copenhaver, quoted in an Engine Advocacy news release, said the recognition was “proof positive that our team efforts are paying dividends in a big way. As we strive to effectively develop Augusta into the next great American city, creating an environment to bring
in new business is absolutely essential.”
The study found hubs of high-tech jobs in unexpected places, such as the South and Midwest. The jobs, which exist in 98 percent of U.S. counties, have an average salary of $77,566, the report said.
Copenhaver obtained $100,000 in city funds last year to start a “collaboration center” in the former Metro Augusta Chamber of Commerce building to promote high-tech job growth.
