NEWS & OPINIONS
Origins of the Georgia Center for Opportunity: Why we choose to focus on healthy families
As an organization whose mission is to alleviate poverty in communities across Georgia, we are sometimes asked why we choose to focus on healthy families. After all, some of the most contentious flash points in our culture today center on the divergent views Americans...
Get Buzz’d Heads to Austin for the Heritage Foundation’s Resource Bank Conference
Get Buzz'd in Austin, Texas at the Heritage Foundation Resource Bank Conference Buzz Brockway and Eric Cochling talk about their experience at the Resource Bank Conference.
New Opportunities Open Up For Kids With Special Needs
Helping Marginalized Students Access Quality Education Mountain Area Christian Academy recently celebrated the passage of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Expansion bill, also known as SB 47. After Governor Kemp signed SB 47 into law, Mountain Area Christian...
Q&A with Hire Dynamics on challenges of hiring in 2021
April’s nonfarm payroll numbers came in at 266,000, well below the 1 million people forecasters estimated would be hired that month. The low number wasn’t because there were a lack of jobs. There were 8.1 million open positions at the end of March. And it wasn’t due...
President Biden to reinstate the work search requirements for unemployment benefits
President Joe Biden has instructed the federal Department of Labor to work with state labor commissioners to reinstate the work search requirements for unemployment benefits. The Georgia Center for Opportunity's (GCO) take: "Detaching the work-search requirement from...
Unemployment Figures for the U.S. Contrary to Analysts’ Expectations
At 8:30am today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released updated unemployment figures for the U.S. Contrary to analysts' expectations, the U.S. unemployment rate increased for the first time since April 2020 to 6.1%. The Georgia Center for Opportunity's...
Gov. Brian Kemp is scheduled to sign Senate Bill 47
At 3:30pm today, Gov. Brian Kemp is scheduled to sign Senate Bill 47, a measure that makes vital improvements and updates to the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the measure passed the House 91-71 and the Senate...
Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law House Bill 146
Today, Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law House Bill 146, a measure that provides three weeks of paid time off for Georgia statement government employees after the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. The Georgia Center for Opportunity's...
President Biden has unrolled a $1.8 trillion spending plan—called the American Families Plan—for the next decade.
President Biden has unrolled a $1.8 trillion spending plan—called the American Families Plan—for the next decade. The Georgia Center for Opportunity's (GCO) take: "While we support many of the themes that President Biden has included in his plan, such as supporting...
Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed three bills into law—Senate Bill 33, Senate Bill 34, and House Bill 287
Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed three bills into law—Senate Bill 33, Senate Bill 34, and House Bill 287 — aimed at fighting human trafficking in Georgia.The Georgia Center for Opportunity's (GCO) take: "This is a win not just for those who have experienced the horror...
Guaranteed Income Subsidizes Poverty And Trivializes Those In Need
How guaranteed incomes and anti-poverty measures are actually devaluing those we serve and how we can restore dignity to those in need.
GCO launches a new support page for special needs children in Georgia
Visit our new resource for parents looking for educational opportunities for their children with special needs. This page includes the latest information about GEERs funding, as well as expanded options for the 2021-2022 school year.
MEDIA MENTIONS
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
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.
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
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.
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
Civil Asset Forfeiture and its Impact on Communities of Color in Georgia
The Georgia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights submits this report regarding civil asset forfeiture and its impact on communities of color in Georgia.
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
Report finds thousands of Georgia residents ‘missing’ from the labor force
While Georgia officials routinely tout the state’s low unemployment rate, a new report found hundreds of thousands of residents are "missing" from the labor force. According to a Georgia Center for Opportunity analysis, 454,100 Georgians are not in the labor force and...
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
Georgia ranks 8th nationally in economic freedom
Georgia is the 8th most economically free state in the country, according to the report Economic Freedom of North America 2022 by the Fraser Institute. The report tracks freedom across three variables — government spending, taxes, and regulation — and focuses on the...
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
GCO analysis: Nearly half a million Georgians have given up on work
PEACHTREE CORNERS—A new analysis from the Georgia Center for Opportunity shows that around 454,100 Georgians are missing from the labor force. This figure comes even as pundits celebrate a statewide and national unemployment rate that remains at historic lows. ...
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
Less than a third of fourth and eight-grade Georgia students score proficient in reading
Georgia officials touted Peach State students' scores on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, saying they were in line with the national average. However, a leading Georgia nonprofit says news that less than a third of fourth and eighth-grade students...
![Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average](https://d1f2pmkajn85sd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/In-The-News2.png)
Less than a third of fourth and eight-grade Georgia students score proficient in reading
Georgia officials touted Peach State students’ scores on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, saying they were in line with the national average.