ATLANTA - Southern Company (NYSE: SO) ranks the highest among electric utilities on G.I. Jobs Magazine’s ninth annual list of the nation’s Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers.

The company placed second overall among all industries.  This marks the fifth consecutive year Southern Company has been recognized.   The company has placed as high as ninth in the past.  G.I. Jobs draws from an estimated 5,000 companies in assembling its list of top employers.

“Veterans and reservists are a natural fit for Southern Company because the cultures of the military and the utility industry are very similar,” said Susan N. Story, executive vice president for Southern Company and president and CEO of Southern Company Services.  “At present, some 11 percent of our 26,000 employees are veterans or serve in the Guard or Reserves and 15 percent of our new hires this year have been veterans.  These employees bring a commitment, discipline and dedication that add incredible value.”

The honored companies were selected based on the strength of their military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention efforts and policies addressing National Guard and reserve service.

The full list can be viewed at:

http://www.gijobs.com/2012Top100.aspx

Southern Company also participates in the national "Troops to Energy Jobs" program as another recruiting source that establishes a process of linking veterans to job openings in the energy industry.  The company’s ongoing history of supporting military personnel has earned it several recognitions, including the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, which is the highest honor given by the Department of Defense to employers for support of employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserve; the Pro Patria Award for its leadership in providing benefits to military employees; one of only 25 companies to receive the second annual Most Valuable Employer for Military Award by Civilian Job News in 2010; and in 2011 ranked “bronze” on the national Military Times magazine’s Best for Vets top 50 employer list.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World’s Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

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