1. Metro Atlanta surpassed 3 million jobs for the first time in October 2022, with employment recovering strongly from pandemic lows in early 2020. 2. Registered Nurses remain the most in-demand occupation according to job postings data, though demand is growing fastest for lower-wage jobs in areas like freight, food service, and retail. 3. Inflation has risen faster in metro Atlanta than national averages over the past year, increasing just over 8%, partly due to high population growth driving up housing costs.