ATLANTA— Metro Atlanta added more people than any metro in the nation from 2000 to 2006 -- with a 20 percent increase -- according to the latest figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

“There's an old saying: ‘If it's true, you ain't bragging,'” said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. “Well, when it comes to buzz about Atlanta , it is all true.”

Williams continued: “We've got the world's busiest airport, the third-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation, cutting-edge research universities that attract young professionals from all over the globe, the lowest cost of doing business in the nation -- and plenty of sunshine. Combine all that with the fact that Atlanta is the business capital of the Southeast, and it's easy to see why people are coming here in droves.”

Over the last six years, metro Atlanta has added an average of more than 142,000 people annually, edging out metros such as Dallas ; Houston ; Phoenix ; Riverside , Calif ; Los Angeles ; Washington , D.C. , New York ; Miami and Chicago .

Much of this growth is attributed to the young, college-educated professionals who have moved to the area. Demographers call this group the “Young and Restless.” The “Young and Restless” are the most sought-after talent in the country. Cities want them for their economic future. Companies want their knowledge and talent. And Atlanta is leading the nation in attracting them.

By the year 2020, another 2 million people will arrive in metro Atlanta . That is roughly the equivalent of the population of Greater Denver moving to the region -- the largest increase expected in the nation.

In the last 20 years alone, the population has doubled and metro Atlanta has become one of the top job producers in the nation. In 2006, metro Atlanta created more than 60,000 jobs and in 2005 created 70,000 new jobs, making metro Atlanta No. 3 in the country for job creation.

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The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce – with our 4,000 member companies that collectively employ more than 700,000 workers – is a catalyst for a vibrant metro region.

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