Stress cracks in the labor market

by David Bass | Sep 26, 2022

Stress cracks in the labor market

Key Points

There are more jobs available in America than ever before.
There are more people NOT working in America than ever before.
At Georgia Center for Opportunity, we have created a two-step process to create meaningful, self-supportive work.

“Never has work been so readily available in modern America; never have so many been uninterested in taking it.”

That’s a key point made by social scientist Nicholas Eberstadt in a new column for The Wall Street Journal. Eberstadt points out that even in an environment with historically low unemployment, the truth is that millions of workers are missing from the labor force.

“We now face an unprecedented peacetime labor shortage, with employers practically begging for workers, while vast numbers of grown men and women sit on the sidelines of the economy—even though job applicants have more bargaining power in the ‘Great Resignation’ than at any time in recent history,” he writes.

Eberstadt points to the unprecedented federal government response to the pandemic as a key driver of the current quandary: stimulus payments, expanded child tax credits, and heightened unemployment benefits, to name a few.

The problems were evident before the pandemic but became worse after. “The current manpower shortage highlights the new face of the flight from work in modern America,” Eberstadt writes. “With pre-Covid rates of workforce participation, almost three million more men and women would be in our labor force today. Prime-age men account for only a small share of this shortfall: Half or more of the gap is owing to men and women 55 and older no longer working.”

Eberstadt has also written quite a bit on how people are spending their time as non-workers:

“Men 55 to 64 who were neither working nor looking for work … were kings of the screen, clocking in a self-reported 2,400 hours during 2020—possibly a new record in the inactivity olympics and nearly 300 hours more than a typical fulltime job requires in year. Prime-age women who are both work-free and child-free exhibit similar traits—especially those neither employed nor in education or training (called NEETs by economists). In 2020 they reportedly devoted even less time to household chores, taking care of other household members or getting out of the house than prime male labor-force dropouts—and allocated almost 11.5 hours a day to “personal time” (mainly sleep), more than any other group.”

“Men 55 to 64 who were neither working nor looking for work … were kings of the screen, clocking in a self-reported 2,400 hours during 2020.”

So, what’s the bottom-line conclusion of all of this? Here at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, we are striving to create a culture that values work and helps all people — particularly disadvantaged populations — find meaningful, self-supporting work. There is a two-step process here:

Policy solutions

A big problem standing in the way is a failing welfare system, one that traps people instead of serving them. Even if well-intentioned, the existing collection of complex and inefficient welfare programs is vast, disconnected, and dehumanizing. Tragically, it deprives people of the hope and dignity that comes with steady work and the government’s response to the pandemic only made these problems worse. That is why GCO advocates for welfare reform that streamlines and simplifies the safety net, while doing away with benefit cliffs that punish people for earning more and climbing the economic ladder.

Community solutions

The solutions don’t stop at policy reform, however. We also need on-the-ground help. That’s what GCO’s BETTER WORK program is all about. Now operating in Gwinnett County and Columbus — but soon spreading to other areas of the state — BETTER WORK is about collaboration between key stakeholders in our communities to help people find work.

The mission of BETTER WORK has never been more important than it is today. As we continue to emerge from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the labor market will keep shifting in significant ways. No matter what that looks like, BETTER WORK’s approach and mission will play an important role.

Georgia Center for Opportunity is the winner of the Bob Williams Award for Outstanding Policy Achievement

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Sep 23, 2022

Georgia Center for Opportunity is the winner of the Bob Williams Award for Outstanding Policy Achievement

Georgia Center for Opportunity is the winner of the Bob Williams Award for Outstanding Policy Achievement. Erik Randolph, Director of Research, lead the charge in undertaking a massive research project which highlights the harms of COVID restrictions which took place around the country. The award specifically recognizes those doing “exceptional work to create and disseminate credible policy research and ideas.”

Georgia Center for Opportunity has been one of the host organizations for the State Policy Network’s Annual Meeting which is being held this week in Atlanta, GA. This is a gathering of organizations working on a state-level to promote realistic solutions to policy. It’s also a time for our team to collaborate with like-minded people and be inspired by new ideas and tactics.

“Bob Williams Awards for Outstanding Policy Achievement recognize state think tanks doing exceptional work to help states implement solutions that expand personal freedom and opportunity for all Americans.”

Randy Hicks is the winner of the Thomas A. Roe Award

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Sep 23, 2022

Randy Hicks is the winner of the Thomas A. Roe Award

We are excited to announce Randy Hicks is the winner of the Thomas A. Roe Award given by the State Policy Network.

The award was created 30 years ago to pay tribute to leaders who embody innovation, conviction, courage, and solutions in public policy and whose achievements have advanced free-market philosophy. The award was named for the State Policy Network’s founder, who spent much of his life encouraging states to grow organizations who preserve American liberties.

Randy Hicks is the winner of the Thomas A. Roe Award!

Randy Hicks is the winner of the Thomas A. Roe Award.

Breakthrough Transforming Broken Relationships Into Flourishing Families

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Sep 16, 2022

Breakthrough Transforming Broken Relationships Into Flourishing Families

We must…launch a movement that encourages young people of all races to adopt a new cultural norm concerning education, entrepreneurship, hard work, faith, responsible parenthood, and the timing of strong family formation.

Ian Rowe, Agency

That’s a quote from Ian Rowe’s book, Agency, and the reason we asked him to join us for Breakthrough last month.

Breakthrough’s purpose was to allow us time together for a powerful discussion about family, community, young people, and relationships.

We know the Success Sequence works, but how do we get this important information to younger generations so they can take advantage of this important “Pathway to Power” and understand that they have Agency in their lives?

Community. Relationships. Strong leadership examples.

This means our bonds as a community are more important than ever. If we work as a team we can impact the lives of so many for good. We’ve put together a couple of videos from our event which will allow you to hear the wisdom shared by our speakers, like Ian Rowe, “who says that we have to teach young people that they have the power to make good choices in life and that they are not victims.” We hope you’ll take a moment to watch and listen, along with take action to make change happen.

If you’d like to get more involved there are some ways you can make a big impact.

1. Take some time to learn how to have the healthiest relationships possible by signing up for classes offered by our team at GCO.

2.Talk to your children and other young people about the power of graduating high school, working hard, and marriage in helping them achieve their dreams. The Success Sequence IS the Pathway to Power.

3. Teach young people they are not victims and have control over the most important aspects of their lives. Ian Rowe’s four-point plan (F.R.E.E.) is a critical way to show young people that they have Agency.

Q&A: Andre and Takara explain how GCO’s Elevate class changed their relationship

by David Bass | Sep 12, 2022

Elevate Your Relationship with (1300 × 600 px)

Q&A: Andre and Takara explain how GCO’s Elevate class changed their relationship

Key Points

Andre and Takara Knighton have been married for 15 years.
The couple was facing some challenges in their relationship, and Elevate turned out to be just what they needed!
Learn more about Elevate at https://foropportunity.org/elevate/

Andre and Takara Knighton stumbled across the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s Elevate relationship enrichment class purely by accident. But it was a wonderful accident! The couple was facing some challenges in their relationship, and Elevate turned out to be just what they needed. Check out this Q&A for more.

Q: Please introduce yourselves – your family background, kids, jobs, school, work, where you live, etc.

We are Andre and Takara Knighton. We have been married for 15 years and produced two beautiful and funny children. We currently live in Georgia but have lived in other states before deciding to reside here. We both have done social work in different fields, but after the pandemic we decided to focus more on our multimedia company, Vizion Image Media.

Q: How did you first learn about Elevate?

Takara learned about the program randomly at a county office. She was registering the car tags and while she was waiting saw a flier for Elevate. So she went home and started researching more about it.

Q: What prompted you to want to attend Elevate?

We were in a tight spot in our relationship. We had been allowing little things to bother us and had been a little distant from one another. We kind of lost ourselves in just life and slowly began to lose our friendship. So when Takara saw this flier and did her research on the program, we decided to just go for it. We went with expectations to try something new and honestly have set dates for ourselves that would also be a building block for our relationship.

To learn more about Elevate and how you can participate, visit:

foropportunity.org/elevate

Q: What was your experience like in the class? What did you learn?

The class was eye opening. We saw couples who had been married for 20 years to newly married couples that also had the same stories. It was encouraging to know that there are couples—especially couples married longer than us—that just needed a little extra help to learn to reconnect. We learned how to look at each other again, but in a new light. The major thing we learned is how to stop and refocus our negative thoughts back to the positive. Sometimes when you have been with someone for so long you tend to focus on all the negative attributes of the person instead of the good qualities that brought you two together. Also, you forget to tell your spouse how much they mean to you and remind them of why you feel in love. Now we are telling each other almost two to three times a week what we appreciate about one another.

Q: Of the seven core relationship skills and qualities for success, which one did you find most impactful for your own relationship?

Definitely “Enlighten.” We weren’t dealing with each other in a healthy manner because we only focused on the past. We forgot that people can change and likes and dislikes can change. We still looked at each other as the 20-somethings we used to be. So we had to become enlightened about who our spouse was again. We had to discover our passions and loves separately and apart. We had to be more sensitive to each other’s feelings and listen. We had to rediscover “us.”

Q: What are some reasons you can think of for other couples to attend Elevate?

We believe that everyone should experience this class because it does open your eyes to some questions that you may never have thought to talk about before. You can be married for two years or 25 years and still never think to ask your partner some of these questions. This class allows you to explore a new part of you, and the you in your relationship. People change over time and so does your relationship. So instead of ditching it because you changed, learn how to deal with the new you in your relationship and discover how you both can make the changes work.

Q: What are your future goals and plans?

We plan on dating each other more and trying new things together. We definitely want to travel overseas again and take our kids on their first overseas adventure so they can learn about life and other cultures.

Five reasons to celebrate the value of work on Labor Day

by David Bass | Sep 5, 2022

Black Grey Labor Day Instagram Post (3000 × 1000 px)

Five reasons to celebrate the value of work on Labor Day

Key Points

A disproportionately large number of able-bodied adults have checked out of the workforce.
This Labor Day, we’d like to acknowledge five reasons why work remains so important.

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 under President Grover Cleveland. The core meaning of the holiday is to celebrate the achievements and value of everyday workers. But here at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, we see another important part of Labor Day celebrations — to acknowledge the value of work itself.

The United States has a rich history of viewing work as ennobling. That’s part of what has helped each succeeding generation of Americans have a brighter economic future than the one before. But in recent history, we’ve witnessed an anti-work spirit arise in our nation.

A disproportionately large number of able-bodied adults have checked out of the workforce. Even though the unemployment rate in the U.S. is at historic lows, the labor force participation rate has not caught up — indicating that millions of workers are absent from the workforce who could otherwise be working.

This Labor Day, we’d like to acknowledge five reasons why work remains so important.

Work provides a key source of dignity

Work is about bettering one’s self and one’s family materially, that’s true. But that is not the only benefit. Another benefit is the way the work itself benefits the individual, the intangible but no less important side benefits of work.

When we are separated from work, we lose more than just monetary compensation or the food, shelter, clothing, and other basics that money can buy. We also face a loss of social connection, meaningful activity, self-respect, and overall purpose.

Work helps to establish our daily rhythms

Work establishes the daily rhythms of life. It dictates when we rise from bed, when we eat our meals, how we schedule our weeks, how we interact with our families. Work provides important structure for our lives.

Work benefits all of society

Workers make contributions that extend beyond their own families to society as a whole. They generate value and rely on themselves rather than government assistance. Employed people are also less likely to commit crime and their families tend to be healthier.

Bringing The Dignity of Work to every individual.

We believe that every able-bodied individual should have a path to fulfilling work. We do this through initiatives that create a flourishing job market, remove barriers to those unable to find work, and work directly with communities to move the un and underemployed into work.

Work provides an opportunity to be generous to others

Work gives us the monetary resources to be generous to those in need. Maybe that’s why the U.S. is one of the most generous nations in the world for private philanthropy — historically, we’ve valued hard work and the generosity made possible by it.

Work honors God

Our religious traditions teach that work has intrinsic value. In the Hebrew account of creation, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and instructed him “to work it and keep it.” In the New Testament, Paul stated that “if a man will not work, he will not eat.” The Calvinist work ethic brought to our shores by the Puritans equated diligent work with duty to God.