Atlanta development authority takes new focus on job creation (with related video)

Atlanta’s economic development authority starts 2012 with a new name and a new focus on job creation. Mayor Kasim Reed announced that the Atlanta Development Authority has been renamed Invest Atlanta with a focus on “creating an environment to attract, create and retain jobs,” according to a news release.

Invest Atlanta kicked off its announcement with an online video (see below) set to music by recording artist and Atlanta native Cee Lo Green. The video touts Atlanta’s assets for businesses, including ranking among the nation’s top five cities in entrepreneurial activity, minority entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 headquarters, foreign investment, most wired and socially networked residents, and the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Invest Atlanta president and CEO Brian McGowan said the agency’s new name better describes its mission. “Our new name shows we will work to get companies to invest in Atlanta, creating jobs and economic activity for all of our residents,” he said.

McGowan said the agency will continue traditional economic development functions, including issuing bonds, helping residents purchase homes, providing small business loans and revitalizing neighborhoods. But the emphasis will be on jobs.

That could be key in Atlanta. Unemployment in the city rose to 10.6 percent in December from 10.3 percent in November, according to the state labor department. The national unemployment rate is currently 8.5 percent. Atlanta’s jobless rate in recent years has ranked among the worst for large cities, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 “We must get our economy moving again because our unemployment is too high and families are hurting,” Reed said. “Focusing on business creation, attraction, retention and expansion not only creates jobs but also brings in new tax revenues for the city.”

Visit the Invest Atlanta website for more information, and watch the Invest Atlanta launch video below.