The Career Move and Employment Situation in Georgia

Georgia is one of the most widely-known states in the southern US, with four distinct seasons, and its winters are relatively mild and pleasant. Atlanta, the state capital of Georgia, is a leading city in the southern US and is home to many blue-chip companies. The “Fortune 500” list of the top 500 companies in the US by revenue published by Fortune magazine includes 16 Atlanta-based companies, including the well-known Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola in addition to home renovation retailer Home Depot and the transportation company UPS. Atlanta Airport is home to Delta Air Lines, meaning the city is very accessible in terms of both international and domestic flights, and direct flights from Japan available, make it easy for the many Japanese companies to enter the market and that many of these are already doing business in Atlanta.Only an hour's drive away from Atlanta, a modern city with a skyline full of skyscrapers, is beautiful countryside boasting lush greenery and scenic natural landscapes. Part of the appeal of Georgia is the fact that it offers all the conveniences of the city while enabling residents to relax and spend time surrounded by wonderful nature.

 Japanese Companies and the Japanese Community in Georgia

The state of Georgia is known as a center of Japanese industry in the southeastern United States. Japanese companies have invested $5.4 billion in Georgia, and the currently 547 Japanese-owned companies doing business in Georgia have brought approximately 37,000 jobs to the state. Most Japanese companies operating in Georgia are in manufacturing industries that include automotive, construction equipment, residential housing, sporting goods, and chemicals. In 2015, Georgia imported a total of $4.6 billion from Japan, making Georgia the fifth largest importer in the world for Japan. Georgia's exports to Japan totaled $1.37 billion, making Japan Georgia's sixth largest export market. Currently, more than 50 companies headquartered in Georgia have a presence in Japan, including Aflac, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, NCR, Newell Rubbermaid, and UPS. Georgia also has two ports in the form of Savana and Brunswick, and the comings and goings of commercial vessels from around the world have led to thriving business in the fields related to logistics and import/export. The largest number of Japanese people live in the relatively safe northern part of Atlanta, where there are Japanese restaurants and supermarkets.

 Positions in Georgia

Companies in Georgia are proactively looking to fill multiple positions, mainly in the manufacturing and logistics industries.

In particular, there tend to be many positions available for mechanical and electronic engineers, sales, interpreters, accounting, human resources (HR), and administration (admin).

In the manufacturing industry, there is a growing demand to fill positions that involve taking responsibility for work such as the introduction of new technology and processes, production line streamlining, and the improvement of quality control, as well as for mechanical and electronic engineers. There is also a high degree of focus on sales positions where the aim is to grow the market for products and enhance customer service. Additionally, there are many positions for interpreters who connect seconded staff members and persons on business trips with local staff members, as well as back office positions that support companies, such as accounting, HR, and administration. In the logistics industry, on the other hand, there are many sales and base manager positions that need to be filled due to the need to establish efficient logistics processes and to follow up with customers after the establishment of new plants.

However, due to the expansiveness of the area in which Japanese companies are located and the area in which Japanese people live, there are often cases where the timing of job changes does not match the timing of job openings. As such it is important to constantly keep checking what kind of positions are available. In some cases offers are made approximately a week after a position is advertised, so we recommend being prepared to apply for a job as soon as it is advertised while also being ready for a job search that continues over the long term.