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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alan Fogg, Director, Communications
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600 (o) or 571-213-5065 (m)
Fairfax County businesses create 25,000 jobs in 2004; job creation should top nationwide rate again in ’05
Fairfax County EDA works with 144 firms expanding or locating in the county
Fairfax County , Virginia, January 31, 2005 -- Businesses in Fairfax County created more than 25,000 jobs during 2004, making the county again a national leader in job creation, said Dr. Stephen Fuller at the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis. Job growth in Fairfax County was about 4.4 percent during the year, he said, compared with a nationwide increase of 1.18 percent reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fairfax County now has more than 642,000 jobs, according to Dr. Fuller. He predicted that job creation in Fairfax County would continue to outpace the nation in 2005.
In 2004, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) worked with 144 companies that will add 11,049 jobs to the local economy within the next 12 months. Most of the new jobs are in the information technology and professional services area, including the burgeoning homeland and defense security fields.
Significant job announcements came from management consultant CGI-AMS (1,000 jobs), IT integrator DigitalNet (893 jobs), defense contractor Titan Corp. (400 jobs) and helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland (200 jobs). The 11,049 employment figure does not include several large announcements made at the end of 2004 that include new jobs that will be created over several years. These companies include Booz Allen Hamilton (4,500 jobs), Science Applications International Corp. (2,900 jobs), SRA International (780 jobs), IBM (720 jobs) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (600 jobs).
“It was an easy decision to make Fairfax County the U.S. headquarters of CGI-AMS because it has always been a key technology center, attracting some of the best companies and workforce talent in our country. It’s simply a wonderful to place to live and do business,” said Donna Morea, president of CGI-AMS.
Typically, every new job in the primary economy spins off two to three jobs in the secondary economy. Technology-sector jobs also typically pay higher than average salaries, which is one reason Fairfax County has one of the nation’s highest median household income levels.
Business growth helps Fairfax County fund public services such as the nation’s top-rated public school systems that contribute to the quality of life. Fairfax County offers businesses a state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure, access to domestic and international markets through Washington Dulles International Airport and a well-educated workforce.
“Fairfax County is once again one of the leading areas of the country for job growth,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the FCEDA. “Our technology companies’ strong focus on defense and homeland security work has strengthened the overall economy and is a significant reason why the Washington, D.C. area is on the forefront of job growth.”
Fairfax County is home to 4,700 technology companies, six Fortune 500 companies, almost 300 foreign-owned firms, nearly 300 trade associations and the Fairfax County BioAccelerator that supports early-stage bioscience and biomedical firms.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org) promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA assists businesses by identifying possible sites and facilities, and is a source for up-to-date demographic and economic statistics. The FCEDA’s Capital Attraction Program links technology entrepreneurs with potential investors, and another program supports the growth of small and minority-owned companies. The FCEDA maintains overseas offices in London, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv and Bangalore, and will open an office in Seoul, South Korea, in 2005.
A selected list of companies that announced expansions and relocations in 2004 can be found here.
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