Alpharetta, Georgia is at the top of the list of the 25 Best Places to Move in America, as determined by analysts at Forbes.com in July 2009. Good evidence is that most of its residents - 70% - have moved to Alpharetta from either out of state or out of the country. Just slightly over 20 miles south of Atlanta, greater Alpharetta in Fulton County houses a total of over 65,000 residents - almost double what it was in the 2000 US Census. In June 2009, the Unemployment Rate of 7,4% was over 2 points below the national average, and positive job growth was evident in Alpharetta.

What brings people to Alpharetta?

• Between 1980 and 2007, new construction brought the total number of housing units from only 1,116 up to to 20,427.
• The North Point Mall opened in 1993 and over 3,000 businesses started up between 1993 - 2009, about 16 years. This produced tremendous local population growth and retail trade from around the metro area and even out of state..
• A total of over 120,000 workers are employed in Alpharetta in 2009 - almost triple the residential population.
• In the late 2000s, USA Today and Yahoo! Internet Lifepublished information that Alpharetta is a leading city for Technologies. It is located near Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport for easy access and shipping, and close to technology-focused research universities.
• A Small Business Development Center (SBDC) operates under the supervision of the University of Georgia and offers effective business and economic development aide to business start ups.

A major commercial industry helped to grow Alpharetta, the Number 1 Place to Move, quickly - The North Point Mall,followed by the rise of technologies. At Number 18 in this Forbes.com list, Dublin, Ohio exploded in business and population much the same way, all centered around Muirfield Village Golf Club and it's surrounding community of upscale housing, which led to additional new businesses.

• DeVry University and Keller Graduate School of Management
• Georgia Perimeter College
• Georgia State University
• Gwinnett College - Sandy Springs GA, south of Alpharetta
• Reinhardt College
• Additional Colleges, Universities and Tech Schools in Atlanta

The beginning of Alpharetta is traced back to the forced resettlement of the Cherokee Nation circa 1830. After the Native Americans were removed from their homelands by the US Federal Government, the promise of “free land” to new settlers was overwhelming. These settlers won parcels of land in local lotteries.

A Methodist Camp Ground was formed on the site of what is now Alpharetta in order to hold church camp meetings next to a naturally occurring spring. This was a traditional annual happening in the 1830s, offering a church revival, connected activities, social events, and increase in business for local proprietors. Some churches today still hold camp meetings, though perhaps not for as long a duration as the old events.

Population, farming, and other businesses increased to the point that Alpharetta became a town at the end of 1858, supported by a large menu of taxes. The city was damaged by fires during the Civil War, but Alpharetta was not supported by the plantation and slave system, so their reconstruction after the war was less time consuming and the economy bounced back more quickly than in other parts of Georgia.

During The Great Depression, Alpharetta and surrounding Milton County merged with Fulton County to reduce government costs, highways were built though the new county, and Alpharetta continued to expand and develop throughout the 20^th Century. The North Point Mall was the boost in 1993 that created the most economic ramifications into the 21^st Century, resulting in the overwhelming growth created in the metro area today.

The Apharetta Metro Area offers many openings in Accounting, Sales, Healthcare, with a number of Post-Doc Fellowships.

Tourism is a significant source of income for Alpharetta, owing to historical installations around the area, Civil War significance, Native American history, North Point Mall, over 100 restaurnats, and heavy daily traffic in and out of the city (only about 20 miles from Atlanta). 

Most job listings are occuring for:

1. Senior Accountants
2. Staff Accountant
3. Controller
4. Senior Cost Accountant
5. Virtual Direct Selling Expo Jobs
6. Billing Analysts
7. Tax Analysts
8. Physical Therapists
9. Post-Doc Fellows (higher education, work experience past the doctoral degree)
10. Sales Managers
11. Sales Representatives
12. Staff Accountants
13. Accounting Managers
14. Merchandising Reps
15. Occupational Therapists

Additional large numbers of these employees are in demand:

• Nurses (RNs)
• Account Executives
• Shift Leaders - Food Service and other.
• Sales Associates/Salespersons
• Customer Service Reps

1. Ajilon Professional Staffing
2. Time Warner
3. McKesson Provider Technologies
4. Tenet Healthcare
5. PTRS - Physical and occupational therapy jobs
6. Home Depot
7. Dekalb Medical
8. Cybercoders.com
9. Staffpointe Health Search
10. AT&T
11. Energy Placement
12. Northside Hospital
13. Gentiva
14. UHS-Pruitt Corporation
15. ThinkEnergyGroup.com

Additional employers with sizeable numbers of job openings:

• Blockbuster
• E*TRADE Group
• Adecco E&T
• Primus Software
• Clorox
• Verizon Wireless
• MATRIX
• Comsys
• Travelers Insurance
• ASAP Staffing LLC

State labor officials forecast teh following occuations ot pfovide the highest numbers of job opening in and around Alpharetta and Atlanta to 2016:

1. Dental Laboratory Technicians
2. Telecommunications Equipment Installers/Repairers
3. Marriage and Family Counselroas
4. Biomedical Engineers
5. Elevator Installers/Repairers
6. Cardiovascular Techs
7. Respiratory Therapists
8. Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
9. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
10. Surgical Technologists
11. Radiation Therapists
12. Postsecondary Education Teachers
13. Industrial Engineers
14. Postsecondary Computer Science Teachers
15. Personal and Home Care Aides