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What terrific news! I knew that several major companies , like Google and Vought, had recently set up shop in the tricounty area, but I had no idea that our job growth was doing so well. It's definitely a pleasant surprise. Charleston was rated by the Milken Institute as the 12th-best metropolitan area in the country at creating and sustaining jobs. Last year, the city was ranked No. 22. Not bad for just one year. Here is a small part of that article: "During the past five years, Charleston's employment base grew 7.1 percent faster than the national average, Milken found. Wages and salaries also outpaced the rest of the country by 13.7 percent during that period, though more specific figures were not included in the report. According to the institute, Charleston's low cost of living relative to other cities "provides more opportunities for retirees outside the area, while its diverse industry base attracts skilled workers." Among the examples Milken researchers cited was the opening of the DaimlerChrysler van assembly plant in North Charleston. It also noted strong growth in data processing and the telecommunications industry, presumably a partial reference to the $600 million data center that Internet search giant Google is building near Goose Creek. As of August, the state's Employment Security Commission counted 1.936 million jobs in the Palmetto State, up 35,000 from the previous year." Isn't that great news?! And I think that we will continue to grow, though I don't expect to maintain this rate of growth forever. I think it is wonderful that we have achieved such large numbers, and I am just happy that we have done so well. Here are a few of the Milken Institute's "Best Performing Cities" based on job and salary growth over the past year: 1. Ocala, Fla. I'm hopeful that we are just at the beginning stages of this great job growth in Charleston and the surrounding counties. We've seen some big names take up roots here, and I believe that there are more to come.
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