Georgia officials tout unemployment rate that is lower than national average

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Nov 17, 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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Civil Asset Forfeiture and its Impact on Communities of Color in Georgia

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Nov 16, 2022

Civil Asset Forfeiture and its Impact on Communities of Color in Georgia

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On December 8, 2020, the Georgia Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) adopted a proposal to study civil asset forfeiture and its impact on communities of color in the state. From a civil rights perspective, the Committee sought to consider the extent to which property seized in Georgia (using civil asset forfeiture and/or related federal equitable sharing agreements) is seized without due process of law. The Committee also examined the extent to which, in practice, these forfeitures result in a disparate impact on communities of color in the state.

Similarly alarming trends can be seen in Georgia. In March of 2020, The Georgia Center for Opportunity, a non-partisan think tank focused on Georgia state issues reported: “Over the three years studied—2016 through 2018—law enforcement entities reported an aggregate of $49,073,127 in state revenue and $31,948,225 in federal revenue from civil asset forfeitures, including $4,452,238 in state net income from the sale of seized assets.”13

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Report finds thousands of Georgia residents ‘missing’ from the labor force

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Nov 16, 2022

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 have effectively given up on work. The number does not include retirees, students or full-time caregivers.

“The startling statistic shows a hidden story behind the unemployment rate that reveals deeper cracks in the labor market that will cause problems for years to come, both in the economy and in individuals’ lives,” Erik Randolph, GCO’s director of research, said in a news release. “The reason why this matters is not strictly an economic one — we know that these individuals’ giving up on work has profound social, psychological, and relational impacts that extend well beyond the pocketbook.”

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Georgia ranks 8th nationally in economic freedom

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Nov 15, 2022

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 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Georgia improved its ranking from the 2018-2019 fiscal year, moving from 10th place that year to 8th place in the most recent report.

“This is another report that reinforces Georgia’s place in the country as a freedom leader, especially during the pandemic and now in post-pandemic life,” said Erik Randolph, director of research for the Georgia Center for Opportunity. “This shows why the GCO’s work is so important as we continue to advocate for meaningful work, access to a great education, and a healthy family life.”

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GCO analysis: Nearly half a million Georgians have given up on work

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Nov 8, 2022

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.

The 454,100 figure developed by the GCO team does not include those unable to work, those who were retired, those in school or college full-time, and full-time caregivers for minor children in the home. In other words, that nearly half-million figure is people who are able to work but have simply decided to detach from the labor force altogether, for some other reason.

“The startling statistic shows a hidden story behind the unemployment rate that reveals deeper cracks in the labor market that will cause problems for years to come, both in the economy and in individuals’ lives,” said GCO director of research Erik Randolph. “The reason why this matters is not strictly an economic one — we know that these individuals’ giving up on work has profound social, psychological, and relational impacts that extend well beyond the pocketbook.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Nov. 4 that the unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, which is a tick higher than the previous low of 3.5% but still at historic lows. Georgia’s unemployment rate stands at 2.7%, 14th best in the nation.

The troubling trend is in the labor force participation rate, however. This rate is a better barometer of the labor market than the unemployment rate because it includes workers who have simply given up looking for work and are sitting on the sidelines of the labor market altogether. The U.S. labor force participation rate was at 62.2% in October, down from a pre-pandemic rate of 63.4% in February 2020.

GCO research has found that when individuals are separated from work, they lose more than just monetary compensation or the food, shelter, clothing, and other basics that money can buy. They also face a loss of social connection, meaningful activity, self-respect, and overall purpose.

Randolph developed the figure using microdata accessed through the IPUMS-USA at the University of Minnesota. The tabulations come directly from the survey the federal government uses to calculate unemployment numbers. It counts those who are not in the labor force and are not retired, are not unable to work due to disability or sickness, are not in school or college full time, and who don’t have a child under 18 years of age while living with a married or unmarried partner.

Randolph also found that 208,600 Georgians fall under the official definition of “unemployed” and an additional 147,900 Georgians are currently working part-time but in search of full-time work.

Less than a third of fourth and eight-grade Georgia students score proficient in reading

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Oct 27, 2022

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 in the state were at least proficient in reading is a “dire situation.”

“Education must be first about the kids and not on protecting a system that has fallen behind for decades,” Buzz Brockway, executive vice president of public policy for GCO, said in a statement. “This is about opening our eyes to other ways of learning and exploring how we deliver an excellent education to all our students, regardless of family income or zip code.

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