The Columbia Metro Area boasts a population over 612,000 people in 2008 and is a large center of business in the Midlands of South Carolina.

Unemployment decreased somewhat in the 1st Qtr of 2009, with 331 more people employed in February and almost 2,000 more people employed in March '09 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

At the same time, foreign migration brought an additional 770 people into the Columbia area in the 12 months of 2008, bringing with it some additional job seekers.

Industries already growing and forecast by the federal and state governments to expand in the Columbia area from 2009 -2012 include:

1. Healthcare & Social Assistance by the most jobs and 31+% increase.
2. Retail Sales by 32%
3. Accommodations/Food Services - 32% [large Tourism and Travel sector]
4. Waste Management & Recycling; Administration- about 28% - South Carolina has become the Number One recycler of food/beverage related plastic bottles.
5. Finance & Insurance - 18%

Sustainability, Green Jobs, and Recession Survival

The newspaper, The State, is headquartered in Columbia and can be read online as well as home delivered. The paper contains job listings, news of new industries and employers in the Midlands regions - including green and sustainable work and alternative energy - as well as around the state of South Carolina, and offers a section called "Living with Less." This section contains many articles about reducing expensives and planning for the future, how to survive a layoff, and other important information. Readers can access the paper at www.thestate.com.

In addition to The State job listings, South Carolina Electric & Gas company is being considered as one of 4 companies to receive a portion of $18.5 Billion to contruct two additional new nuclear reactors at Columbia's nearby V.C. Summer Power Plant.

The governor of South Carolina accepted an ARRA Stimulus Package of $2.8 Billion.

Althougth $860 MIllion went to Medicare, and $566 went to K-12 Education, over $1 Billion was allocated to South Carolina Unemployment Benefits and Infrastructure/Transportation, the second of which will create related jobs as highways, bridges, and sidewalks are reconstructed.

A total of $1,424,100 went directly to Columbia for Energy Efficiency projects that willl create more jobs. The City of Columbia also received $1 million for "assessment coalition" in order to provide Stimulus for the city.

Job Title and Percentage Increase in Jobs since 2004 expected:

1. Retail Salespersons 29% - OJT (on the job training)
2. Registered Nurses (RNs) 32% - requires an Associate's degree.
3. Customer Service Representatives 29% - OJT
4. General/Operations Managers 23% - Bachelor's degree
5. Janitors/Cleaners (industrial) 22% - OJT
6. Cashiers 12% - OJT
7. Waitstaff 20% - OJT
8. General Office Clerksl 11% - OJT
9. Manual Laborers and Hand Freight & Stock Movers 15% - OJT
10. Home Health Aides (HHAs) 52% - OJT, although Certificate training is available.

Columbia offers current and future opportunities in Registered Nursing and other aspects of healthcare.

• Columbia's Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals is operated by the larger nonprofit Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine (CSA) Health System.
• Palmetto Health, mentioned above as the Largest Employer in Columbia. It is also a nonprofit organization the operates Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital, Palmetto Health Children's Hospital and the Palmetto Health Heart Hospital.
• William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Health Center is a large VA medical complex, with the University of South Carolina Medical School co-locating on grounds.

In the first graph below, showing the employment job listing trend for Registered Nurse (RN) in Columbia South Carolina for the last decade, we see a tremendous increase in the percent of job listings for Registered Nurses from January 2009 - February 2009, with the trend still continuing upward.

Both official government forecasts and number of jobs listed reflect that Registered Nurses (RN) will be in high demand in Columbia and the Midlands Region of the state through 2014. In addition, it is a general workforce development consensus that nursing and other healthcare services occupations will continue in high demand status through 2020. Further, as the aging Boomer Generation is joined by the Aging Xs and Ys, nursing and nurses' aide occupations, as well as other practioners' occupations will remain in high demand for 100 years.

1. Palmetto Health - matches the #1 spot on the list to the right.
2. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of SC
3. Richland School District #1
4. SCE&G
5. UPS
6. Wachovia Bank.
7. Richland School District #2
8. Branch Banking and Trust
9. School District 5 of Lexington & Richland Counties
10. Santee Cooper

• Allen University Click here
• Benedict College Click here for website
• Columbia Bible College
• Columbia International University Click for home page
• Columbia College Click here
• Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (northern seminary is in Ohio).
• Midlands Technical College Click for more information
• South University Click here
• University of South Carolina Click for home page

In addition, the five Columbia area K-12 school systems contain a number of faith based schools, including Luterhan, Catholic, Baptist and non-denominational Christian.