Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average

by Kimberly Sawatka | Nov 18, 2022

Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average

Georgia officials said Thursday the state’s October unemployment rate remained lower than the national rate, news that follows a new finding that nearly half a million Georgians have dropped out of the workforce.

While Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.9% was lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.7%, it was slightly higher than last month’s rate of 2.8% but down from last October’s 3.4% rate.

Meanwhile, a new Georgia Center for Opportunity analysis found 454,100 Georgians are not in the labor force and have effectively given up on work. The number does not include retirees, students or full-time caregivers.

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Georgia policy group says inflation is not conquered, is becoming ingrained in economy

by Kimberly Sawatka | Oct 13, 2022

Georgia policy group says inflation is not conquered, is becoming ingrained in economy

The country has not conquered inflation, and it has become ingrained in our economy, the research director of a leading Georgia policy group said.

On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 0.4% in September. The year-over-year inflation rate stands at 8.2%.

“The Biden administration prematurely declared victory in August after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act,” Erik Randolph, director of research for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said in a statement. “But as we’ve seen in the weeks since, inflation has a strong foothold and isn’t going away anytime soon.

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Former Trump Advisor Launches ‘Public Safety Solutions for America’ Coalition

by Kimberly Sawatka | Oct 6, 2022

Former Trump Advisor Launches ‘Public Safety Solutions for America’ Coalition

Josh Crawford joins former Trump advisor Ja’Ron Smith in the launch of Public Safety Solutions for America, an alliance of non-profit organizations and leaders with a smart-on-crime approach to improving public safety.

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Georgia to receive $38M federal grant to expand charter schools

by Kimberly Sawatka | Oct 4, 2022

Georgia to receive $38M federal grant to expand charter schools

(The Center Square) — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a nearly $38.3 million grant to fund the expansion of charter schools throughout Georgia.

The money awarded to the State Charter Schools Foundation of Georgia is from the fiscal 2022 Charter Schools Program State Entity grant competition. The grant will fund the expansion of the Georgia Strategic Charter School Growth Initiative.

“Charter schools are one of many innovative ways available today in Georgia for families to customize their student’s education and give them the best learning environment possible,” Buzz Brockway, executive vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said in a statement.

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It’s Graduation Day!

by Kimberly Sawatka | Jul 7, 2022

It’s Graduation Day!

Key Points

First graduating class of Jobs for Life and BETTER WORK Columbus partnership
Jobs for Life and BETTER WORK are joining forces to get help lift people out of poverty

On July 7th the first group 11 men and women graduated from the Better Work Jobs for Life class at the Asbury UMC training site. This course was the first of its kind in partnership between Jobs for Life and BETTER WORK Columbus.The goal was to give men and women a stronger foundation in life skills so they can go on to be reliable employees for local businesses.

“The Jobs for Life job-readiness training course helps men and women understand their dignity and God-given identity and gifts, develop character, and foster a supportive community that will equip them for work, life, and their overall goals. This method, combined with soft skills training, has proven to enable unemployed and underemployed men and women to find and keep meaningful employment.”

The Columbus community came together to support this group of students overcome their circumstances, and we are excited to see this partnership become a staple of the BETTER WORK program.