ATLANTA — A new report says Georgia's forest industry added jobs in 2011 for the first time in four years.
The report by Georgia Tech, conducted for the Georgia Forestry Commission, showed 46,378 workers were directly employed in forestry related jobs in 2011 — up 6.8 percent from the previous year. Robert Farris, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, says recent surveys indicate the industry continued to grow last year.
The report says businesses that produce wood for lumber, paper and other products generated $15.1 billion in revenues in 2011 and paid $2.9 billion in wages and salaries.
The forest industry also contributed $487 million to Georgia's state budget.