Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Rises
Finding a place to pick up a paycheck in Georgia is still a tough proposition.
The state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate for July was 8.8%, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
That’s up three-tenths of a point from June 2013.
An audio version of the story.
“This is obviously a disappointing report,” says Dr. Jeffrey Humphreys, with the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
Cuts in the public sector played a major factor in this rise in unemployment, which Humphreys finds odd.
“At this stage of the business cycle, the government should actually be adding jobs. the problem is spending got out of kilter with the government’s ability to raise revenue. In other words, over the last three years really, the state government has been trying to reconcile its ability to raise revenue with its spending and staffing levels.”
However, the DOL’s report does have some positive news.
Some areas have seen growth, especially construction, where roughly 4,000 jobs were added in July.
“They are currently looking for more electricians, more carpenters, more masonry. It’s pretty much all around all construction. It’s very encouraging to see these jobs coming back to Georgia,” says State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.
Other fields seeing a boost in openings include leisure and hospitality, trade and transportation and manufacturing.
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