Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Economic Development announced on September 3, 2026, that the state recorded approximately $35.2 billion in project investments during fiscal year 2026, setting a new record and marking the second consecutive year Georgia has surpassed its own benchmarks. The figure represents a 33.8% increase over the previous fiscal year’s $26.3 billion total. Across the 12-month period ending June 30, the state’s Global Commerce division supported 436 business expansions and new company locations expected to generate an estimated 25,300 new private-sector jobs.
Key Takeaways
- Georgia’s $35.2 billion in fiscal year 2026 project investments marks an $8.9 billion increase over the prior year’s already record-setting $26.3 billion total.
- Expansions at existing Georgia companies accounted for 79% of all projects, contributing roughly 15,370 new jobs and $24.7 billion in investment.
- Three out of every four projects landed outside the 10-county metro Atlanta region, continuing the state’s emphasis on distributing economic growth to rural communities.
- International company investments more than doubled compared to fiscal year 2025, with Korea, Italy, Belgium, Canada, and France as the leading sources of foreign direct investment.
- Manufacturing accounted for 67% of new job creation, with automotive, life sciences, and food processing manufacturing representing 27% of all new positions.
- Georgia has maintained its ranking as the number one state for business for 12 consecutive years, according to Area Development magazine.
Existing Companies Drive the Majority of Investment
The composition of fiscal year 2026’s investment total reveals that the growth is being driven overwhelmingly by companies that already operate in the state. Of the 436 supported projects, 79% were expansions by existing Georgia businesses rather than new company arrivals. Those expansions accounted for approximately $24.7 billion of the $35.2 billion total and are expected to produce 15,370 of the estimated 25,300 new jobs. Ongoing support for established Georgia businesses also helped retain more than 90,000 existing positions across the state.
GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson framed the expansion-heavy results as a measure of business confidence. The average investment per project continued to rise during fiscal year 2026, and Wilson described each expansion as a company’s reaffirmation of its commitment to Georgia and to the communities where it operates. From fiscal years 2022 through 2026, Georgia’s Global Commerce division has played an active role in attracting a cumulative $125.6 billion and an estimated 164,900 new jobs, according to the department’s five-year totals.
The expansion trend is consistent with what metro Atlanta’s business community has observed at the regional level. Cobb County, for instance, has been positioning itself as a hub for international business expansion and workforce readiness, with companies onshoring operations and creating local opportunities tied to global supply chains. That pattern mirrors the statewide data, where companies choosing to deepen their existing Georgia footprint consistently outpace new arrivals in both dollar volume and job creation.
Rural Communities Continue to Capture the Majority of Projects
For the second consecutive year, 75% of business expansions and new locations landed outside the 10-county metro Atlanta region. The geographic distribution has been a central piece of the Kemp administration’s economic development messaging, and the fiscal year 2026 data reinforces the pattern. Rural communities across the state absorbed the majority of projects, supported in part by the state’s Rural Site Development Initiative, which has received $28 million in state funding since its launch in fiscal year 2025.
Georgia currently offers more than 70 shovel-ready certified industrial sites and hundreds of additional development-ready properties throughout the state. The certified site program is designed to reduce lead times for companies operating on accelerated construction and relocation timelines, particularly in manufacturing and logistics, where site readiness can determine whether a project lands in Georgia or moves to a competing state.
Speaker Jon Burns emphasized the rural distribution in the state’s announcement, noting that the figures reflect a deliberate policy of ensuring economic opportunity reaches communities beyond metro Atlanta. The 10-county metro region, while receiving a minority share of total projects, is still expected to absorb more than $5.3 billion in new investment from fiscal year 2026 commitments, underscoring that the metro core continues to attract significant capital even as the balance shifts outward.
International Investment More Than Doubles
Foreign direct investment played a larger role in fiscal year 2026 than in any recent period. International company investments more than doubled compared to fiscal year 2025, with the state attracting over 9,350 new jobs from international firms and more than $7.8 billion in foreign direct investment from the year’s recruitment and expansion activity. Korea, Italy, Belgium, Canada, and France ranked as the leading international sources of job creation.
The Korean investment pipeline has been shaped in large part by the automotive and electric vehicle sector. Hyundai Motor Group’s $2.7 billion Phase 2 expansion of its Metaplant America campus in Bryan County, announced in September 2025, added 3,000 projected jobs to an already substantial electric vehicle assembly operation in southeast Georgia. The broader automotive and EV supply chain has drawn a cluster of international component manufacturers to the state, many of which are expanding from initial Georgia locations into larger production facilities.
Georgia’s five-year foreign direct investment total now stands at $38.1 billion, a figure the state attributes to more than 50 years of international market representation through GDEcD’s global offices. Deputy Commissioner Misti Martin described the state’s diverse industry base as a competitive advantage, noting that companies across sectors are finding the talent, infrastructure, and resources they need to grow and compete.
Manufacturing and Life Sciences Lead Job Creation by Sector
Manufacturing dominated the fiscal year 2026 job creation numbers, accounting for 67% of all new positions. Within manufacturing, the automotive, life sciences, and food processing sectors together represented 27% of total new job creation. Medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing investment reached record levels compared to the previous 10 years, reflecting a national trend of companies reshoring or expanding domestic production capacity in response to supply chain pressures and federal incentive programs.
Corporate locations focused on innovation, including headquarters relocations, software operations, and technology support services, contributed an additional 3,790 projected new jobs. Companies invested more than $225 million specifically to relocate or expand corporate headquarters in Georgia during the fiscal year, drawn by what the state describes as its talent and innovation ecosystem. Georgia’s sustained presence in the top tier of national business climate rankings, now at 12 consecutive years as Area Development magazine’s number one state for business, continues to function as a recruitment asset in headquarters and corporate relocation conversations.
The sectoral mix also reflects the state’s push to maintain economic diversity rather than overconcentrating in any single industry. Agribusiness, logistics, aerospace, energy, and film all maintain significant footprints in Georgia, and the state’s economic development strategy treats that diversity as insulation against sector-specific downturns. The fiscal year 2026 data suggests the approach is producing results across multiple verticals simultaneously, with manufacturing, life sciences, technology, and corporate operations all posting growth in the same reporting period.
FAQs
How Much Did Georgia Attract in Economic Development Investment in Fiscal Year 2026?
Georgia recorded approximately $35.2 billion in project investments during fiscal year 2026, covering the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The total represents a 33.8% increase over fiscal year 2025’s $26.3 billion record and marks a second consecutive year of record-breaking investment for the state.
How Many New Jobs Are Expected From Georgia’s FY2026 Economic Development Projects?
The 436 business expansions and new company locations supported during fiscal year 2026 are expected to bring an estimated 25,300 new private-sector jobs. Expansions at existing Georgia companies accounted for 79% of projects and approximately 15,370 of those projected positions. An additional 90,000 existing jobs were retained through ongoing business support.
What Industries Are Driving Georgia’s Economic Growth?
Manufacturing accounted for 67% of new job creation in fiscal year 2026, with automotive, life sciences, and food processing manufacturing together representing 27% of all new positions. Medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing reached 10-year investment highs. Corporate and technology operations contributed an additional 3,790 projected jobs and more than $225 million in headquarters-related investment.
How Much Foreign Direct Investment Did Georgia Receive in FY2026?
International company investments more than doubled year over year, generating over 9,350 new jobs and more than $7.8 billion in foreign direct investment. Korea, Italy, Belgium, Canada, and France were the leading international sources of job creation. Georgia’s five-year cumulative foreign direct investment total now stands at $38.1 billion.
Did Metro Atlanta Benefit From Georgia’s FY2026 Investment Growth?
Metro Atlanta is expected to receive more than $5.3 billion in new investment from fiscal year 2026 projects. However, 75% of all business expansions and new locations landed outside the 10-county metro Atlanta region, continuing the state’s policy of distributing economic growth to rural communities through initiatives like the Rural Site Development program.
