Actually, the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years economic shutdown is a welcome event for families; it represents a gathering together of old friends or faux friends who've decided in light of the festivities and food, they ought to put aside their petty hatreds and get along with their family members!! On the other hand, because so much of the Athens population is represented by students, the holiday exodus has a stark and striking impact on the Athens' economy.

In truth, summer break and Christmas have long been known as "slow" times for many service-sector employers like restaurants; this means that managers must plan to rein-in the number of workers to match the demand; it also means days when income will be far below normal. Obviously, managers who cannot manage these "down" times, are likely to flirt with bankruptcy.

Whether or not the Athens' economy is less reliant on students than in the past remains unclear; for one thing, the switch from a quarter system to a semester system, may have helped even-out student demand; and increasing the numbers in summer enrollment, as well, may have helped.

But the fact remains, the Athens' economy is desperately dependent on rising and falling demand tied mostly to the University's calendar of events including the dates and times of local home football games;

Then, to make it in business in Athens, requires a very fine-tuned radar that effortlessly expands and contracts staff and business hours; and holds "reserve funds" to pay taxes on deadline, and to weather the many economic droughts caused by suddenly out-of-town students;

With all its charms and self-love, Athens remains an economy probably more tricky than any other in GA; it remains so today partly as a result of a long-term failure to diversify its economy; and the fact that even with some job growth, manufacturing and production jobs have seen a long-term net loss.