The document discusses the economic recovery goals for Metro Atlanta under Plan 2040, highlighting its competitiveness, growth in exports, and increasing innovation as measured by patents. While the employment rate is improving, it still lags behind national averages, and the area ranks 10th in the recovery of gross metropolitan product since the recession. Additionally, Metro Atlanta has notable gains in home prices but continues to face challenges with unemployment rates above the national average.

1. Plan 2040 Goal:
Economic Recovery and
Prosperity
Atlanta Regional Commission
For more information contact:
mcarnathan@atlantaregional.com

2. Plan 2040 Indicators:
www.atlantaregional.com/scorecard

3. Plan 2040 Indicators:
www.atlantaregional.com/scorecard

4. Is Our Economy Diverse Enough To Compete
Globally?
• Atlanta is no longer simply competing with other cities
in the Southeast or the nation
• Global business leaders see Atlanta with international
competitiveness
• Metro Atlanta’s economy must continue to leverage its
assets to stay relevant and thrive in this global context
• Key determinants explored here include exports,
innovation, competitiveness, employment, Gross
Metropolitan Product (GMP), and home price
Source: OnTheMap Program, U.S. Census Bureau

5. Exports
• Metro areas that seize
opportunities in new
markets will help boost the
country’s economic
competitiveness and create
jobs locally
• The value of metro Atlanta’s
exports has risen by 45%
since 2005
• While this is undeniably good, other research suggests that metro Atlanta
lags behind other large metro areas in overall export activity
• As a share of the Atlanta region’s total metro GDP, only 8% is attributable to
exports as of 2010, which ranks metro Atlanta 77th out of the 100 largest
metros in the country.
Source: International Trade Administration , Brookings Institution “Export Nation 2012”

7. Patents
Metro Atlanta: Percent of All Patents
in 99 Large Metro Areas
2.00%
1.90%
1.80%
• Patents are a good way to
measure economic progress
by indicating new knowledge
and new innovations
• Metro Atlanta has increased
its share of all patents
developed in the 99 largest
metro areas, from about 1.5
percent of all patents in 2000
to 1.9 percent by 2011
1.70%
1.60%
1.50%
1.40%
1.30%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

8. Patents
Patents per 10,000 population, 2010: Top
25 Metros
16.00
14.00
12.00
• Metro Atlanta has taken on
an increased role in
innovation since 2000, but
still ranks fairly low overall
• Atlanta ranks 16th out of the
top 25 largest U.S. metros on
patents per 10,000 people
10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
San Francisco
Seattle
San Diego
Boston
Minneapolis
Portland
Detroit
Los Angeles
Houston
Philadelphia
Dallas
New York
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Washington
Atlanta
Chicago
Denver
Baltimore
St. Louis, MO
Sacramento
Miami
Tampa
San Antonio
Riverside
0.00
Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

9. Concentration of jobs in key sectors
•
Metro Atlanta a leader nationally in
“knowledge” and logistics jobs
Location Quotient by Year:
Logistics Hub
1.6
• “Knowledge” jobs include IT,
telecom, corporate and regional HQ,
professional services and corporate
and customer support operations.
They are among the highest paying
jobs in the region.
• Logistics jobs include supply chain
management, transportation
services, warehousing and storage
and wholesale trade.
1.55
1.5
1.45
1.4
1.35
1.3
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Location Quotient by Year: Knowledge Hub
1.6
1.55
1.5
1.45
Values larger than 1 mean metro Atlanta has
higher concentration than nation as a whole
1.4
1.35
1.3
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

10. Employment Change, August 2008 – August
2013 (year-over-year percent change)
•
During the Great Recession, metro Atlanta’s employment gains lagged those of the
nation’s gains.
• For the past year, however, metro Atlanta’s job market has been outperforming that of
the nation’s on a year-over-year percent change basis.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

11. Employment Change by Industry, August
2012 – August 2013 (year-over-year percent change)
In looking at job gains by sector, metro Atlanta is outpacing the nation in jobs added in
Construction and Information, which are critical sectors for metro Atlanta.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

12. Employment Change by Large Metro, August
2012 – August 2013 (year-over-year percent change)
Nationally, metro Atlanta ranks fourth in the percent change in the number of jobs added
over the past year (August 2012 – August 2013).
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

13. Employment Change Since Recession,
December 2007 – July 2013 (year-over-year percent
change)
Despite impressive gains recently, there is still a little more work to do to get back to
pre-recession levels
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

14. Average Annual Wage Increases, 2000 - 2011
(in 2011 dollars)
In many ways, metro Atlanta’s economic struggles began before the official beginning of
the Great Recession. Wage increases lagged behind the national average for much of the
2000 decade.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, CA34

15. Wage and Compensation Change by Large
Metro, Sept. 2012 – Sept. 2013 (year-over-year
percent change)
Since 2012, however, metro Atlanta’s total compensation and wage increases are greater
than all other large metro areas.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

16. Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
12.0
•
•
Metro Atlanta’s unemployment
rate has been consistently
higher than national average
since the Great Recession, but
the gap has been decreasing
since the beginning of FY13
October 2013: Atlanta’s UE
(7.7%) is 0.4% higher than
nation’s UE rate (7.3%)
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
ATL
U.S.
Jan-03
Jun-03
Nov-03
Apr-04
Sep-04
Feb-05
Jul-05
Dec-05
May-06
Oct-06
Mar-07
Aug-07
Jan-08
Jun-08
Nov-08
Apr-09
Sep-09
Feb-10
Jul-10
Dec-10
May-11
Oct-11
Mar-12
Aug-12
Jan-13
Jun-13
0.0
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

17. Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP)
• GMP measures the total
economic output of
metro areas
Atlanta GMP: All Industries
310000
290000
• Atlanta was behind
other metros between
2010 and 2011 with
stagnant growth
• 2012 preliminary data
indicates that Metro
Atlanta’s GMP has
recovered above prerecession levels
270000
250000
230000
210000
190000
170000
2001
Source: Benchmarking Central Ohio, Bureau of Labor Statistics
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

18. Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP)
Change in Gross Metropolitan Product Since The "Trough"
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
• The Trough: lowest point for GMP
• Atlanta’s trough was in Q3 of 2009
• Metro Atlanta ranks 10th in GMP recovery among top 25 U.S. metros
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

19. Home Price Index
Case Shiller's Home Price Index (January 2000=100)
140
130
120
110
100
90
Jul-13
Jan-13
Jul-12
Jan-12
Jul-11
Jan-11
Jul-10
Jan-10
Jul-09
Jan-09
Jul-08
Jan-08
Jul-07
Jan-07
Jul-06
Jan-06
Jul-05
Jan-05
Jul-04
Jan-04
Jul-03
Jan-03
Jul-02
Jan-02
Jul-01
Jan-01
Jul-00
Jan-00
80
• Metro Atlanta is one of the national leaders in home price gains on a year-overyear basis
• Prices are down 16.9 percent when compared to peak prices (July 2007), but are
up over 13 percent when compared to 2000
Source: Case-Shiller Index

20. Home Price Index
• Metros across
the country are
showing
consistent
improvement
since the Great
Recession
Source: Case-Shiller Index
-47.1%
FL-Miami
-39.3%
AZ-Phoenix
-37.8%
FL-Tampa
-35.3%
MI-Detroit
-27.2%
IL-Chicago
-24.3%
CA-San Diego
-23.4%
CA-Los Angeles
-23.2%
Composite-20
-20.3%
NY-New York
-20.1%
MN-Minneapolis
-19.7%
DC-Washington
• Although home
prices are down
about 16.9%
since the peak,
prices in several
metros have
been suffering
more
NV-Las Vegas
-18.6%
CA-San Francisco
-18.2%
GA-Atlanta
-16.9%
WA-Seattle
-16.6%
OR-Portland
-14.7%
OH-Cleveland
-13.4%
NC-Charlotte
-8.0%
MA-Boston
-7.8%
TX-Dallas
4.6%
CO-Denver
4.8%
-50.0%
-40.0%
-30.0%
-20.0%
-10.0%
0.0%
10.0%

21. Summary
• Atlanta is improving in exports, but is slightly lagging in terms of national
average
• Atlanta’s share of patents is increasing, but far from the nation’s patent
leaders
• Knowledge and Logistics job sectors are above the national average
• The unemployment rate has not yet moderated to pre-recession levels, and
metro Atlanta's rate remains above the national unemployment rate
• Metro Atlanta's recovery from the lowest point (in Q3, 2009) in Gross
Metropolitan Product (GMP) ranks 10th among the top 25 U.S. metros
• Metro Atlanta is among the nation's leaders in recent home price gains as
noted in the Case-Shiller Index

22. Plan 2040 Goal:
Economic Recovery and
Prosperity
Atlanta Regional Commission
For more information contact:
mcarnathan@atlantaregional.com