Small business lending is up quite a bit in Georgia and across the Southeast, according to the latest data from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

SBA handed out $1.16 billion from Oct. 1 through July 31 to Georgia small businesses through flagship 7(a) and 504 loan programs. That’s a 59.4 percent increase.

Included in the $4.2 billion figure are nearly $600 million in SBA-backed loans to woman-owned small businesses (a more than 40 percent increase over last year) and nearly $83 million in loans (a more than 25 percent increase over last year).

“The $4.2 billion in small business loans contributes to job creation and support for our southeast regional economy,” says Cassius F. Butts, SBA Regional Administrator. “Our lending partners have provided entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses the capital they need to grow and succeed.”