Pierce County may be 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean but a recent study shows almost 500 local jobs are directly supported by the ports.
An economic impact study recently conducted by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business shows 497 Pierce County full-time and parttime jobs rely on the ports.
The number of jobs in South Georgia supported by the ports is estimated at 17,224 and statewide 600,000 jobs are directly related to the ports.
“This study confirms that our ports are invaluable economic drivers for the entire state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Across industries and communities in every corner of Georgia, the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick – as well as our entire ports ecosystem – both directly and indirectly support tens of thousands of jobs and create opportunity all across the state while connecting manufacturers with markets all around the world.”
The UGA study, “The Economic Impact of Georgia’s Deepwater Ports on Georgia’s Economy in FY 2023” is the latest in a series of similar studies conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth.
Internal Georgia Ports Authority data show the top three export commodity groups for the study period were food, forest products and automotive cargo. The top imports were machinery, retail goods and furniture.
