Employment numbers are on the rise in Augusta. On Thursday, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that Augusta saw positive marks across several criteria in March.
“We had another strong month in March,” Butler said. “We saw the unemployment rate drop in every single MSA, along with an increase in jobs across the state and most importantly, a decrease in over-the-year initial claims for every MSA.”
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In Augusta, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points in March, reaching 4.1 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.6 percent. The labor force increased in Augusta by 1,282 and ended the month with 272,351. That number is up 655 when compared to March of 2020.
Augusta finished the month with 261,134 employed residents. That number increased by 2,169 over the month and is down by 825 when compared to the same time a year ago.
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Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta has been surpassed by Guangzhou Bai Yun International Airport in southeast China for the title of “busiest airport in the world” after 22 years at the top. Hartsfield-Jackson, with the airport code ATL, is still the busiest in the U.S. and busiest in the world in terms of operations, with 548,016 aircraft movements recorded, per Airport Council International.
“While we have been proud of our title as busiest in the world, 2020 was an unprecedented year, with unprecedented challenges, impacting travel across the United States and the globe,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said. “Hartsfield-Jackson’s top priority remains providing a safe and efficient experience for the traveling public. During the pandemic, ATL took substantial steps to protect passengers and employees alike. Those steps are allowing Hartsfield-Jackson and its partner airlines to return to normal and with a renewed push to reclaim our title as the world’s busiest airport.”
In an effort to mitigate the threats posed by COVID-19, Hartsfield-Jackson obtained more than 4 million face masks for distribution to passengers and employees, installed more than 1,000 feet of plexiglass barriers, printed more than 4,200 stickers reminding passengers to maintain social distancing, installed more than 500 hand sanitizing stations and embarked on a thorough cleaning protocol.
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The US Army Signal Corps Museum at Fort Gordon closed in February 2021 due to base growth and military construction requirements. The public’s help is needed to secure a new home off base for the museum and its substantial historical collection.
Military retirees, business, and community leaders from around the country have come together to establish the Fort Gordon Historical Museum Society (FGHMS), a 501(c)3 with the mission to raise funds for the acquisition of a new museum home. Without a new home, artifacts from the Fort Gordon museum will be shipped to Army storage outside of the CSRA. Such a move puts the region at risk of losing this important part of its historical legacy.
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“Many people probably don’t realize the magnitude of the artifacts that we have right here in Augusta,” said Amy Tuschen, executive director of the FGHMS. “In addition to the rich collection of historical Signal Corps artifacts, we have a telephone used by Adolf Hitler, a piece of the Berlin Wall, and Oscar statues awarded to the Signal Corps for WWII-era documentaries. These are very important, one-of-a-kind treasures that only can be seen right here.”
The new museum will expand upon the current Signal Corps collection by adding artifacts and exhibitions from the new U.S. Army Cyber Corps, as well as document the history of the installation, and other tenant units that have served at Fort Gordon and become a part of the local community.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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