- Think about the last time you went out to eat, watched a movie, or stayed in a hotel.

What if those everyday experiences weren't just fun, but were actually powering a state's economy?

In Georgia, some of the biggest parts of the economy aren't farms or factories.

They're services or jobs built around helping people, not making things you can physically hold.

Millions of people use services every single day, and every time they do, money, jobs, and opportunities are being created around the state.

(upbeat music) (paper rustling) Not all jobs create something tangible or a product you can touch.

Some jobs are all about helping people.

Those are part of the service industry.

A service is something you pay for, but don't take home as a physical product.

Instead, you're getting help, a skill, or an experience.

Think about getting a haircut, visiting a doctor, having a package delivered, going to a concert, or getting your internet set up.

In each of these, nothing physical is being made, but something important is still being provided.

That's the service industry.

Now, you might be wondering, what about the things you do buy, like clothes or school supplies?

Those items come from a different part of the economy called manufacturing.

That's where physical products are actually made.

But here's where it all connects.

Even though manufacturers create the products, they don't actually sell them directly to you.

And that's where the service industry comes in.

Before a product ever reaches your hands, a lot of service-based work has to happen.

It needs to be advertised so people know about it, shipped from factories to stores, organized and stocked, and sold to customers.

Businesses like retail stores and wholesalers handle these steps.

They don't make the products.

Instead, they provide the services that help move those products from the factory to you.

So, while manufacturing is about making goods, the service industry is what helps people find and buy them.

Both are important, and they work together every day to keep the economy running.

The service industry is massive.

Because it's so big, it can be a little hard to define, but generally, it can be divided into two main categories: professional services and customer services.

Professional services is a broad term that describes a wide range of career fields.

These services often happen behind the scenes by skilled workers with specialized knowledge and training.

When you're thinking of professional services, think of outside help a business might need.

These include fields like law, engineering, and finance.

People in professional services might have titles like lawyer, accountant, event manager, consultant, or engineer.

Professional services provide businesses special assistance or expertise that's highly valued.

Customer services, on the other hand, are the ones that focus on directly working with customers, not businesses.

They include restaurants, salons, stores, movie theaters, hospitals, and daycares.

Customer services might also be done by people who offer assistance with lawn care, delivery driving, or even coaching.

Together, professional and customer services help keep the economy moving.

They create jobs, they support businesses, and they meet the needs of millions of people around Georgia.

In fact, the service industry is one of the largest parts of Georgia's economy, and it continues to grow.

Major Georgia-based companies like Zaxby's, UPS, Delta Air Lines, and Aflac are all built around providing services, not manufacturing physical products.

So, here's my point.

Without the service industry, our world would look a lot different.

There would be no one to cut your hair, fix a broken bone, or fly airplanes.

We wouldn't have stores, movie theaters, gyms, or schools.

Hotels and restaurants would completely disappear.

Security guards, architects, and nurses would be no more.

So, when you think about the service industry, remember this.

It's not about goods you can touch.

It's about skills, support, and experiences all working together to power Georgia's economy and shape the way we live every day.

(bright music)