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The Georgia Early Literacy Act is a new bill to improve literacy rates and support stronger readers.

Key Points

  • The Georgia General Assembly has passed a bill that will lay the groundwork for improving literacy rates among the state’s students.
  • Major measures in the bill include requiring literacy coaches in schools, making kindergarten mandatory, assessing students’ reading skills more often, and expanding the use of curriculums based on the science of reading.
  • By becoming stronger readers, Georgia’s students will be more successful in school and better prepared for rewarding work, financial stability, and meaningful community engagement as adults.

The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 (House Bill 1193) is poised to make a powerful impact on students across the state. Legislators drafted the bill to help increase literacy rates among young Georgians and prepare them for higher levels of learning and greater success in life. 

Georgia’s literacy statistics are undeniably troubling—62% of the state’s third graders aren’t reading proficiently. Georgia’s proficiency percentage is just slightly above the average reading level in the United States. The Nation’s Report Card, which tracks how well students across the country are reading in fourth grade, recently showed that 69% of American fourth graders aren’t reading proficiently. And proficiency is a key indicator of children’s progress and readiness for more advanced work.  

Third grade also marks a critical point in a student’s academic development. Between third and fourth grade, children should be transitioning from learning to read to using reading to learn. If students fall behind in reading during this crucial period, they can start to have a hard time in other school subjects, too. This struggle often takes a big toll on children as they grow up, and it can limit economic opportunities later on. 

But with support from organizations like the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO), state legislators are paving the way for children to overcome challenges with literacy. This will empower them to thrive in their academic development and build flourishing lives for themselves and their families in the future.

“GCO applauds the state’s General Assembly for passing the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. This important legislation helps Georgia make sure that students read proficiently so they can excel in school and reach their full potential in life.”

Buzz Brockway, Vice President of Policy, Georgia Center for Opportunity

What Are the Core Requirements in This Bill?

Policymakers have included several key measures in the new literacy bill to help the youngest Georgians become skilled readers.

  • Literacy Coaches in Every School: All schools that serve students in kindergarten through third grade will be required to hire literacy coaches—educators with expertise in teaching reading. The coaches will support teachers through lesson planning, co-teaching, and mentoring.
  • Mandatory Kindergarten Enrollment: Students will be required to attend kindergarten before starting first grade (exemptions are possible if students pass the assessment described below). The bill will also encourage families to enroll their children in school or establish a home study program beginning at age 5. These measures should strengthen children’s foundational reading skills early on.
  • First Grade Readiness Assessments: Schools will test students before they start first grade to make sure they’re academically prepared. If a kindergartener isn’t reading on grade level, the school will design a plan to help them.

  • Expanded Use of Science of Reading Curriculums: Schools will continue to expand the use of materials grounded in the science of reading, a field of research that focuses on how students develop reading skills. Teachers will no longer be able to use the older three-cueing system, which encourages students to guess words.

Have Other States Passed Similar Laws?

Yes. Mississippi, in particular, has set the standard for effective literacy legislation. Recent reforms in that state include:

  • Placing literacy coaches in the lowest-performing schools to guide reading teachers 
  • Regularly screening students in grades K-3 for challenges with reading and creating plans to help children who are struggling
  • Requiring third graders to demonstrate reading proficiency before starting fourth grade
  • Training teachers to shift to an approach based on the science of reading

As a result of the strong focus on literacy, Mississippi’s fourth grade reading proficiency scores went from 49th place in the nation in 2013 to ninth place in 2024. Georgia and many other states have taken notice of this significant improvement and have modeled legislation after Mississippi’s laws.

When Will the New Requirements Take Effect?

Governor Brian Kemp is expected to sign the Georgia Early Literacy Act once the 2026 legislative session ends. After it becomes law:

  • Schools will likely have literacy coaches on staff by the 2028-2029 school year.
  • Mandatory kindergarten enrollment and enhanced readiness assessments will go into effect for the 2027-2028 school year.
  • Every K-3 classroom will use only state-approved materials aligned with the science of reading by July 1, 2027.

What Is the Science of Reading?

The science of reading is a field of research focused on how the brain learns to read and how to teach reading. It promotes proven practices that support students of all abilities. These practices involve several essential elements:

  • Phonemic Awareness: the ability to hear and identify individual sounds in spoken words
  • Phonics: the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent
  • Fluency: the ability to read texts smoothly, accurately, and with the right expression
  • Vocabulary: an understanding of what words mean and how to say and use them correctly
  • Comprehension: the ability to understand, interpret, and analyze texts

What’s the Difference Between Reading on Grade Level and Reading Proficiently?

People often use these two phrases interchangeably, but they actually mean different things.

  • Reading on Grade Level: A student who reads on grade level can figure out words and follow a basic plot, but they might still struggle to analyze more complex texts. This is the minimum expected skill level for a child in a specific grade.

  • Reading Proficiently: A proficient reader has a higher-level skill set, including the ability to analyze more challenging material and to think critically about it. Reading proficiently makes it easier for students to use reading for learning as they develop academically.

This difference is important for understanding literacy rates in Georgia. The state’s Department of Education reports that 65% of third grade students are reading at or above grade level, but the Georgia Council on Literacy has shown that only 38% of the state’s third grade students are reading proficiently. 

How Can Increasing Reading Proficiency Open Doors to Opportunity?

The state legislature passed the Georgia Early Literacy Act in March of 2026 with unanimous bipartisan support. The strong approval of the bill confirms that Georgia’s policymakers have made literacy a priority.

This attention to literacy will make a meaningful difference for many Georgians. Research has shown that children who aren’t proficient in reading by third grade are four times as likely to drop out of school before getting their high school diploma. And without that degree, access to higher levels of education, fulfilling jobs, and economic opportunities is more limited. For students who come from vulnerable families, struggles with reading can also make it harder to escape poverty.

Through the Literacy Act, Georgia legislators aim to remove barriers for children and encourage them to follow brighter paths to promising futures. By becoming stronger readers, Georgia’s students will be more successful in school. They’ll also learn to think more critically about the world around them. Their advanced skills will then lead young people toward more rewarding work and economic mobility as adults, and they’ll be able to positively impact their communities. The bill has the power to make all this possible, with literacy as the key that unlocks the door to these life-changing opportunities.

Additional Resources:

Literacy Bill, Cellphone Ban Among Education Bills Approved by Georgia House
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With End of Session Near, Georgia Lawmakers Tackle Childhood Literacy
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Assessing the Economic Gains of Eradicating Illiteracy Nationally and Regionally in the United States
Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy

Your Home for GA Dyslexia Resources
Decoding Dyslexia GA

The State of Literacy in Georgia
Deloitte

Family Resources: Supporting Your Child’s Reading Development
Georgia Department of Education

The Incredible Importance of Teaching Children to Read
Georgia Municipal Association

Lawmakers Push Plan to Lift Georgia’s Lagging Literacy Rates
Georgia Recorder

Student Literacy Overhaul Poised for Georgia Governor’s Signature After Compromise
Georgia Recorder

How Education Impacts Chicago Poverty
Illinois Policy Institute

10 Ways to Support Your Child’s Literacy at Home
National Center on Improving Literacy

Unemployment Rates for People 25 Years and Older by Educational Attainment
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Georgia lawmakers have crafted bills that will expand opportunities for students to take advanced math classes and pursue meaningful careers.

Key Points

  • Both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly have drafted bills that will create opportunities for students to take advanced math classes earlier in their academic development.
  • Among other measures, the bills will require automatic enrollment for qualified students to make sure all children have equitable access to the advanced classes. This will help close racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic achievement gaps among young Georgians.
  • Research shows that students who pass Algebra I by ninth grade are more likely to graduate from high school. They’re also more likely to succeed in college, accept meaningful jobs, and become financially stable.

Legislators in the Georgia General Assembly have drafted a pair of bills that are set to transform the way math is taught in the state. If the bills become law, they’ll open doors for students to receive a high-quality math education and ultimately shape the direction of their lives.

The Senate’s Quality Basic Education Act (SB 171) will require Georgia’s Board of Education to develop an advanced math pathway for children in grades 3-8. This compressed and accelerated math track will prepare students to take high school-level math classes like Algebra I in middle school and, if desired, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 

The House of Representatives’ Math Matters Act (HB 1030) will bring detailed updates to the way math is taught in Georgia schools, including the adoption of new math standards, increases in the amount of time spent on math during the school day, and new requirements for teacher certifications. It shares SB 171’s goal of preparing students to take advanced math classes and setting them up for greater success after graduation.

The bills are based in part on recommendations from the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO), with additional support from ExcelinEd and GeorgiaCAN. The opportunities they create will pave the way to fulfilling jobs, economic opportunity, and brighter futures for participating students, and especially for young African Americans, Latinos, and girls, who haven’t traditionally received significant STEM education.

“GCO has helped lead the charge in crafting these bills to bring more opportunity to all of Georgia’s students. A strong math education will empower young Georgians to reach their full potential and flourish in their careers and lives.”

Buzz Brockway, Vice President of Policy, Georgia Center for Opportunity

What Are the Key Elements of These Bills?

The two bills are similar in several ways. They differ just slightly in how they’ll require schools to prepare students for advanced math classes.

School Requirements

  • Per SB 171, all local school systems will offer an advanced math pathway in grades 6-8, and they’ll be able (but not required) to offer it as early as third grade.
  • Per HB 1030, schools will provide at least an hour of core math classes every day starting in grades 4 and 5.

Automatic Enrollment
School districts will automatically enroll students in advanced math courses if they meet the program’s qualifications. 

  • Parents or guardians will have the option to withdraw their child from the classes if they think the standard math track is a better fit for their child.
  • Parents of students who don’t qualify for the advanced math classes will still be able to enroll their child if the student’s score on the previous year’s math assessment is above a certain level.

Additional Assistance for Teachers 
The bills enable local school systems to provide extra training and resources to teachers so they can help students build positive mindsets around math and excel in the classes.

Supportive Student Services
The bills grant school systems the ability to offer tutoring or bridge programs to support students in the faster-paced courses.

Annual Reporting
Georgia’s Department of Education will publish annual reports on student demographics, enrollment, and test scores to make sure the advanced math curriculum is meeting its equity and achievement goals.

How Will Students Qualify for the Program?

Students who receive high scores on statewide end-of-grade math assessments will be eligible for the advanced classes during the following school year.

What Types of Classes Will Students Take as Part of the New Program?

Students on the advanced math track will be able to complete high school-level math classes—usually Algebra I—by the time they finish eighth grade. They’ll then be ready to tackle subjects like calculus in high school.

When Will the Advanced Math Courses Be Available?

The advanced classes should be available during the 2027-2028 school year.

What Impact Will Automatic Enrollment Have?

Automatic enrollment supports equitable access to the program by removing barriers like possible teacher bias, a student’s lack of confidence, or participation fees. In the past, obstacles like these have sometimes prevented qualified but traditionally underserved students from setting foot on advanced academic pathways.

Barriers to early educational opportunity are still being reflected in the composition of our nation’s workforce. For example, a recent report from the National Science Foundation revealed that the nation’s STEM workers were:

  • 62.9% white 
  • 14.8% Hispanic
  • 9.5% Asian American
  • 8.2% Black
  • 4.3% multi-racial 
  • 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native

And just 18% of working women in the United States held a STEM job, per the report. 

Opening doors to all students and exposing them to challenging math coursework early in their academic development can help close racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic achievement gaps and pave the way for young people’s future success and upward mobility. 

How Can Advanced Math Classes Build Bridges to Opportunity?

Research indicates that students who pass Algebra I by ninth grade are twice as likely to graduate from high school. They’re also more likely to succeed in college and then accept meaningful jobs in STEM fields, which are critical to the nation’s economic success. And outside of work, the essential skills math teaches—analytical, logical, and problem-solving skills—will empower young people to serve as engaged members of their communities.

The advanced math track will give young Georgians the chance to experience the sense of dignity and purpose that comes from rewarding work—both academic and professional. And for students who are part of vulnerable families, this opportunity sets the stage for them to break out of generational cycles of poverty and to achieve their full potential. Their success will then ripple out, transforming their future families, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

Additional Resources

Indicator: Successful Completion of Algebra I by 9th Grade
Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework

Math Policy
ExcelinEd

From Gatekeeper to Gateway: Creating More Paths to Algebra I Success
National Math Improvement Project

The STEM Labor Force: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers
National Science Foundation

Employment in STEM Occupations
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

2024 Black Students and STEM Report
YouScience and Black Girls Do STEM

Image Credit: Canva

As August ushers in a new school year, nearly two million students are headed back to Georgia’s 2,300 public schools. How are Georgia schools doing when it comes to preparing kids for work and life? Here are a few key measures of education in Georgia that parents and communities should know as students return to the classroom. 

Learning in Georgia

Results from the latest Georgia Milestones Assessment show students are still struggling with math and reading. In math, 54% of third-graders and 56% of eighth-graders were below proficiency. 

In reading, 45% of eighth-graders were at grade level or above. Third-graders are even further behind—only 38% met proficiency in reading. While that number is up from 36% in 2020, it’s still below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, 42% of third-graders were reading at grade-level or above. 

Demographic data from the Milestones Assessment shows Black and Hispanic third-graders are struggling most when it comes to reading.

Reading proficiency by third grade is a crucial milestone for Georgia’s students. Not only is it necessary for learning in later grades, but it’s also an indicator of future stability and economic opportunity. That’s because literacy is closely linked to high school completion and participation in the workforce. 

 Children who can’t read proficiently by third grade are more likely to drop out of high school, have lower earning potential, and experience higher rates of poverty and unemployment. 

  • The median annual earnings of adults ages 25 to 35 who had not completed high school was $6,300 less than those with a high school diploma.
  • Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a 6.2% unemployment rate for people with no high school diploma. It drops to 4.2% for high school graduates and 2.8% for those with an associate’s degree.
  • The poverty rate for those with no high school diploma is 25.1%, compared to 13.1% for those who have finished high school. In Georgia, where an estimated 1.4 million people live in poverty, 25% would roughly equate to 350,000 people. 

A literacy study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation sums up what’s at stake for kids in Georgia and the country if reading proficiency continues to slide: 

 “The bottom line is that if we don’t get dramatically more children on track as proficient readers, the United States will lose a growing and essential proportion of its human capital to poverty, and the price will be paid not only by individual children and families, but by the entire country.” 

Enrollment

Georgia public schools enrolled 1,736,730 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the Georgia Department of Education’s spring 2025 enrollment count. That number marks a drop of 10,964 students from spring 2024. 

As Georgia has taken steps to expand education opportunities, more families are embracing new schooling options to find the best education fit for their kids. Homeschooling is on the rise, and over 15,000 families applied to Georgia’s newest school choice program, the Promise Scholarship, between March 2 and June 30.

Students missing school

Georgia, like many states, is battling a crisis of chronic absenteeism. These are students missing 10% or more of school days—a situation that puts kids further behind in academic progress and raises the high school dropout risk.

Chronic absenteeism and its risks tend to be higher among students from low-income families, students of color, and students with disabilities.  

In Georgia, absenteeism skyrocketed between 2020 and 2021 in the wake of pandemic school closures. In 2019, 12.1% of students had been chronically missing school. By 2021, that number had jumped to 20.1%. Only recently, in 2025, did the percentage dip below 20% for the first time in four years. 

Public school spending

On average, Georgia spends $14,660 on K-12 education per pupil. Pre-kindergarten and K-12 education spending accounts for 38% of the state budget, making it Georgia’s biggest line item. In 2025, the state budget included $13.3 billion for Georgia’s public schools, which was a $1.4 billion increase from 2024. 

Despite these amounts, state funding is only a portion of overall revenue for public schools. Local taxes are the biggest source of education dollars, and a small percentage comes from federal funding. 

New education laws in place this year

Georgia lawmakers passed a handful of education-related bills in 2025 that will impact schools as of this academic year. 

The Georgia Literacy Act stops the use of an instructional reading method called “three-cueuing,” which research has shown to be ineffective. Instead, the law ensures teachers are trained in the science of reading—the evidence-based methods that have proven most successful for teaching reading. 

This is a hopeful step for Georgia students, especially in light of results that similar reforms have had in other states. ExcelinEd specifically noted the astonishing transformation in Mississippi: “Mississippi’s fourth-grade Black students have risen to third in the nation in both reading and math, and Hispanic and low-income students have claimed the top spots in reading and second place in math nationwide.” 

In addition to addressing literacy, Georgia lawmakers have also taken steps to improve school learning environments. Starting this year, a new cell phone law will put stricter limits on student phone use during school hours. The goal is to cut down on distractions and help students stay engaged in the classroom. 

What’s next for education in Georgia?

Georgia’s education measures are more than data. Behind the numbers are real children who will be the next generation of mothers, fathers, business owners, employees, and voters in our state. A quality education is necessary for giving them strong, opportunity-filled futures. 

Solutions to boost math and reading proficiency and address chronic absenteeism can strengthen Georgia’s public schools. These are worthwhile steps to support students whose best—and often only—education option is the local public school. 

At the same time, Georgia leaders should be doing everything possible to remove financial and social barriers to quality education and empowering students and families to access the school of their choice. Prioritizing more opportunities over limited choices is the best way to prevent a lack of quality education from locking Georgia’s kids and communities into poverty.

Image Credit: Canva

In addition to earning money, the benefits of work for teens include positive impacts on mental health, physical health, and relationships.

Key Points

  • Research has shown that there are numerous benefits of work for teens and young adults across all areas of life, including finances, relationships, and physical and mental health.
  • Labor force participation rates show teens and young adults are working less than previous generations.
  • Encouraging teens and young adults to work can be a valuable way of helping them lead meaningful lives and become healthy, resilient adults.

As summer break approaches for many teens and young adults, most will be looking forward to leisurely activities like a trip to the beach, camping, or even summer camp. Kids at this developmental age indeed need relaxation and rejuvenation over summer breaks, but it is also a valuable opportunity to reap lifelong benefits.

Parents, guardians, or even mentors may want to encourage their teen to get a summer job—not just to earn a little spending money but because work has many other benefits to the health and resiliency of teens.

It’s true that the brains and bodies of kids need some time to relax and rejuvenate after a long school year—and taking a much-needed break in the summer months can be a good thing. There’s also a lot to be said for getting a summer job that teaches the value of work and offers benefits that reap dividends over the course of their lives.

Work is good for young people

Research shows that seasonal and part-time employment for teenagers and young adults has almost universally positive impacts. The truth is that holding down a summer job is something that previous generations commonly experienced—and enjoyed—but kids today have been comparatively shielded from working until much later in life.

In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds in July 2023 was only 60.2%—slightly down from the previous year’s rate of 60.4%. By comparison, back in July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5% before trending downward over the next 20-plus years to settle between 60.0% and 60.6% from 2012 to 2018. 

Since then, the rate dropped significantly to 57.3% in 2020 due to the economic dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, though it has since returned to pre-COVID levels at around 60%.

Contrasting by gender, the 2023 gap in summer labor force participation was the smallest on record—at only 0.4%—with only 60.4% of young men working compared to 60.0% for young women. Interestingly—and not surprisingly—the gender gap was its widest at 40.9 percentage points back nearly 75 years ago in July 1950. Also not surprising is that today most summer jobs for teens and young adults are in leisure and hospitality (25%), retail trade (18%), and education and health services (13%). 

Clearly, the current generation of teens and young adults is working less than their predecessors. But what’s the impact on their lives?

They not only miss out on the financial benefits of earning money, but also on learning “soft” skills and attitudes that will positively impact them for the rest of their lives, including time management, respect for supervisors, following instructions, being reliable, demonstrating an upbeat attitude, dressing appropriately, accepting constructive criticism, and even using work-appropriate language.

As teens and young adults take on fewer seasonal or part-time jobs, they miss out on the benefits of work.

In July 2023, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 60.2%. In July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5%. The drop means more young people are missing out on the benefits of work.

As teens and young adults take on fewer seasonal or part-time jobs, they miss out on the benefits of work.

In July 2023, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 60.2%. In July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5%. The drop means more young people are missing out on the benefits of work.

For young people, benefits of work span all areas of a healthy life

Beyond this, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) team has thoroughly reviewed the literature and found that there are nine benefits for work that help teens and young men and women develop a strong work ethic that lays the foundation for success in every area of life: 

1. Personal finances: When we think of work, we immediately think of a paycheck. That’s the most obvious benefit. Work enables kids to buy both necessities and luxuries, to pay for education, even to start saving for retirement. Attaching to work early is also important for avoiding the trap of the social safety-net system that can unintentionally keep people mired in poverty.

2. Serving others: Earning money in a free market economy shows the ability to create value by serving others and learning self-reliance.

3. Economic impact: The more people work, the more the economy grows. This creates a more prosperous society and leaves those who work personally better off than those who don’t work. Those who don’t work deny society resources that could have made everyone better off—while simultaneously pulling resources away from other important societal needs.

4. Personal well-being: Work confers dignity and respect. It provides a sense of meaning and purpose in life. In contrast, those who don’t work are, overall, less happy and experience higher levels of personal and familial stress, sadness, despair, hopelessness, apathy, and depression.

5. Mental health: Those who work experience improved mental health outcomes and have higher self-esteem, fewer psychosomatic symptoms, less anxiety, and decreased suicide risk.

6. Alcohol and substance abuse: Those who work generally have reduced drug use and improved treatment outcomes. The impact of substance abuse appears to be greater on those who don’t work.

7. Physical health and lifespan: Those who don’t work generally have poorer physical health, including disrupted sleep patterns, higher risk for cardiovascular disease and respiratory infections, and shorter longevity.

8. Family relationships: Working has a particularly positive impact on males when it comes to family formation. Young men who work are much more likely to marry and have a family.

9. Crime: Working typically has a positive effect on teens and young adults by increasing future wages, building human capital, and reducing criminal behavior and recidivism—especially for economic crimes involving property damage, theft, and drugs. 

Taken together, the evidence is strong for teens and young adults to start working on a seasonal or part-time basis. Whether it’s learning to manage a summer job in between camps, family vacation, and other enrichment activities or working during the academic year after school or on the weekends, the benefits of employment go far beyond earning money. 

While it may be fashionable for parents to shelter their children from the working world as long as possible to allow them to enjoy a more carefree and leisurely adolescence, the data—and generational wisdom—show that we do kids more harm than good by unduly delaying their exposure to the workforce.

Media statement, in the news, Georgia news, ga news

The latest Consumer Price Index released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in the past month, the Federal Reserve successfully achieved its inflation target by meeting a 2% increase in prices on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis. This signifies a step towards maintaining economic stability and balance. But there are still storm clouds on the horizon.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “While this is positive news, a concerning trend has emerged since the onset of the pandemic,” said Erik Randolph, GCO’s director of research. “Overall, goods cost 18.2% more today than they did before the start of the pandemic due to rampant inflation. Simply put, everyday essentials are far less affordable in 2023 than they were three or four years ago. That hits the impoverished and low-income Americans the hardest. At the federal level, there appears to be a lack of substantive discussion regarding measures to restore the diminished purchasing power of consumers. That is concerning.”

    In The News

    Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in April the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.4%, not seasonally adjusted. Year over year, the CPI has gone up 4.9% in the last 12 months.

    The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Not only has the federal government abandoned restoring purchasing power, they do not appear even capable of bringing inflation down to the Federal Reserve’s inflation rate target of 2%,” said Erik Randolph, GCO’s director of research. “Devaluing the dollar means that Americans must have comparable wage inflation just to keep with prices. That’s worse for Americans living on fixed incomes, the working class, and the poor.”

     

     

    Key Points

    • As of March 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a nationwide unemployment rate of 3.5%.
    • Well-known companies are conducting large-scale layoffs—in some cases, laying off tens of thousands of employees. 
    • The BETTER WORK program can help you take the next steps in your career to secure a better job, whether you’ve been laid off or you’re simply looking to move to the next level.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the global economy, leading towidespread job losses and an uncertain future for many workers. As we continue tonavigate the economic crisis, it is important to understand the current state of the jobmarket in Georgia and strategies for finding and securing employment.

    Times may be turbulent, but with the right mix of strategy, action, and support, it’s possible to find and keep gainful employment.


    The state of the job market

    The current economic crisis has impacted the job market in a number of ways, causing several industries to contract. Layoffs have been widespread across multiple markets. As of March 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a nationwide unemployment rate of 3.5%. But with many companies announcing widespread layoffs, that number could potentially increase in the coming months.

    Since January 2023, the tech industry has been hit hard by layoffs in a number of companies. The impact extended to household-name brands such as Meta, Google, Microsoft, Zoom, Netflix, Salesforce, and many others. Beyond tech, other well-known companies are conducting large-scale layoffs—in some cases, laying off tens of thousands of employees. Disney just announced 7,000 coming layoffs, while Amazon is cutting 9,000 more jobs in addition to the 18,000 jobs it cut in early 2023. Companies such as Goldman Sachs, H&M, Walmart, McDonald’s, Tyson Foods, NPR, and many others are also letting staffers go, in some cases by the thousands. 

    Ultimately, white-collar workers are most likely to face layoffs as the impending recession looms. Most blue-collar jobs are still hiring, though, so workers in those sectors may fare better.


    Strategies for finding employment

    Having a support system to come alongside you and help with your job search is invaluable. The BETTER WORK program can help you take the next steps in your career to secure a better job, whether you’ve been laid off or you’re simply looking to move to the next level. If you’re in the Gwinnett or Columbus areas, we’re ready to help! Learn more about BETTER WORK here.

    Regardless of whether you face layoffs or not, it’s important to get prepared for the possibility of a job hunt. It’s far better to update your resume and refresh your network connections now, rather than waiting until it’s too late. Here are a few things you can do to boost your chances for landing new employment, should the need arise.

    1. Assess your skills and experience: What skills and experience have you acquired over the years? What about transferable skills? Make an exhaustive list of your professional experience and transferable skills up to this point. After that, consider listing out what skills you might like to acquire in the future.

    2. Identify in-demand jobs and industries: If you need to launch a job search, you’ll want to start with industries that are actively hiring. You can research specific industries on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, but it’s also useful to check the pulse of the market by running searches on Google and staying up to speed on LinkedIn.

    3. Network and leverage personal connections: It’s always important to meet new professional connections and keep in touch with existing ones, but now it’s more important than ever. Reconnect with professional connections and leverage your network to find new opportunities you might not come across otherwise. If you don’t yet have an account on LinkedIn, go ahead and get set up there, too. It’s a great place to showcase your skills, follow companies you’re interested in, apply for jobs, and keep in touch with professional peers.

    4. Utilize online job boards and resources: There are plenty of fantastic resources online that you can use to find and apply for great jobs. Sites like CareerBuilder, Monster, Remote.co, Indeed, and FlexJobs are useful for finding strong opportunities. You can also apply directly to jobs you’re interested in through company websites.

    “Having a support system to come alongside you and help with your job search is invaluable.”

    “Having a support system to come alongside you and help with your job search is invaluable.”

    Moving forward in the job market

    Regardless of whether you’re currently job searching or preparing to do so in the future, it’s important to understand how to move forward in the job market. It’s also important to note that, according to Atta Tarki’s report in the Harvard Business Review, it’s “still a workers’ labor market.” That means, for many job seekers, the power is still in your hands. 

    Don’t lose heart if you find yourself searching for new work in the near future. Embrace new opportunities and industries, cultivate and identify transferable skills, and get ready to pivot quickly if needed. Stay flexible and adaptable to changing market conditions, and plan for the future. When you remain open to new possibilities, you’ll have that much more control over your career trajectory.



     

    People working

    Key Points

    • Around 454,100 Georgians are missing from the labor force.
    • The labor force participation 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.
    • We need to answer, how to reintegrate these prime-age, work-capable workers back into the labor force?

    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 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. 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.

    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.

     

    The numbers

    Here’s a quick deep dive into the numbers. 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.

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    Those detached from work

    It’s important to note that 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.

    As for reasons why workers have quit, they are widespread and complex. The better question is how to reintegrate these prime-age, work-capable workers back into the labor force. That is a primary goal of the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s BETTER WORK initiative, currently operating in Gwinnett County and the Columbus areas of Georgia but soon to expand into many additional regions across the state. 

    We see success stories like that of Eddie, who spent nearly five years on the street, homeless and working odd jobs, before getting connected with BETTER WORK Columbus and partner organizations to find stable housing, food security, and a long-term job. The goal of such programs is to get people into stable, self-supporting work so they can escape poverty and dependency cycles.

    The GCO team also works to educate policymakers on the perils of benefits cliffs that keep people trapped in cycles of dependency and prevent them from moving up the economic ladder. People like Frankie, a single mom who turned down a $70,000-a-year job because it would mean losing essential government benefits that she relied on to support her family. The goal here is for policymakers to make wise decisions about the safety net so that we don’t continue to pour funds into a failing system.

    inflation

    Key Points

    • September CPI numbers show inflation is still on the rise. 
    • Core inflation hit a 40 year high.
    • Local communities are the key to paving the way for economic success. 

    In September, President Joe Biden prematurely declared victory over inflation as he held a celebration event over the party-line passage of the Inflation Reduction Act that required the Vice President of the United States to cast the deciding vote in the Senate.

    Perhaps they were fooled by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers for July and August. In July, the CPI dropped just a tiny bit to 295.271 from the seasonally-adjusted index of 295.328 for June, which rounds to an inflation rate of 0.0%. Although the unadjusted index slightly decreased again in August, the seasonal adjusted number rose by only 0.1% that calculates to 1.4% when annualized.

    But, alas, inflation rates typically fluctuate from month to month, and what’s important is the longer-term trend.

    When the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the CPI numbers for September, it became all too clear that we must continue to suffer through rising prices — because inflation has not yet been tamed. 

    The overall monthly inflation rate rose 0.4% when seasonally adjusted, that is 4.7% when annualized. Yet again, the inflation reading came in hotter than expected, with consensus estimates being around 0.3% for the September reading. The year-over-year inflation rate stands at 8.3%. 

    Worse, inflation has become ingrained in our economy with no indication that it’s going away anytime soon. Here are a few reasons why we still need to be worried. 

    1.The core inflation rate hit a 40 year high

    The reason economists look at the core inflation rate is to gauge how widely inflation has spread throughout the economy. They get the rate by subtracting the cost of energy and food from the index, but not because energy and food prices are unimportant. But because of their volatility. 

    The core inflation rate was 6.7% in September over the previous year – the highest it’s been in forty years. It increased 0.6% in September, which calculates to an annual rate of 7.1%. This alarming trend demonstrates just how ingrained inflation has become in our economy. 

    “But policy is only one piece of the puzzle. The other even more important piece is the community-level response.”

    “But policy is only one piece of the puzzle. The other even more important piece is the community-level response.”

     

    2. Energy prices are down — sort of — but food prices up

    One piece of good news is that energy prices went down in September. However, this is of little consolation because the prices are still 19.9% higher than last year and 49.7% higher than two years ago.

    There is no good news for food prices. You can’t go to the grocery store anymore without noticing the impact of inflation, and the CPI numbers bear this out. Food prices in general are up 11.2% over last year, or 16.3% higher than two years ago. As anyone can tell you, this is just the general price increase. Consumers can experience higher prices depending on what foods they buy. Cereals and bakery goods are up 16.2% from last year, and dairy products are up 15.9%

    Although economists like focusing on core inflation, energy and food prices are necessities that impact most people, especially lower income families and seniors living on fixed incomes.  

    3. Inflation isn’t going away anytime soon

    When reading the tea leaves, there aren’t many indications to expect inflation will abate any time soon. The recent droughts and man-made obstacles to food production, such as Russia’s war on the Ukraine and the irresponsible farm policy changes in the Netherlands, will impact food supply, which, of course, will have a direct impact on food prices and its availability. 

    As winter approaches the northern hemisphere, the demand for energy will increase. Here again, the war in Ukraine is culpable for disrupting energy supply to Europe. Moreover, not only did the Biden Administration fail to convince OPEC to increase production, but OPEC, which by the way includes Russia, is doing the exact opposite. They are cutting back on oil production. 

    In the meantime, current U.S. energy policy is more concerned about climate change than energy independence — that we were just two short years ago. The Administration’s release of petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve did help ease prices, but now the reserve is at the lowest level since 1984. How much lower will the Administration allow it to go?

    Because it impacts economic behavior, core inflation is even harder to solve. People – whether acting on behalf of their businesses or as an employee or as a consumer – incorporate their expectations of higher prices into their personal actions. This only fuels inflation more. Consider this fact: Although many businesses are experiencing higher revenue, their costs are also up. Importantly, and unfortunately, for many of them, their profits are down. All these factors exacerbate inflation while slowing economic growth, which harms everyone.  

    The way forward is through local communities

    Our nation’s inflationary environment is bad. Everyone knows that. The big question is what to do about it. On the policy front, we need a paradigm shift in Washington, D.C., to focus on enacting policies that encourage private investment, savings, and free trade while cutting back on deficit spending.

    But policy is only one piece of the puzzle. The other even more important piece is the community-level response.

    Here at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, our focus is primarily on these bottom-up solutions. Our neighbors — particularly those on the economic margins — are suffering from high inflation and need help. That’s where programs like BETTER WORK come in. They help the poor and impoverished get the skills and training needed to find a job and pursue a career, while ensuring they also find safe and affordable housing, reliable transportation, childcare services, and any other essential that’s needed.

    We also know that economic prosperity is challenging when your home life is in shambles. That’s why GCO prioritizes healthy family relationships through our Elevate workshops throughout the community and our Strengthen Families Program in local schools. On that note, prosperity is impossible without a good education, so we prioritize policies that will bring the broadest range of educational options to the most people, regardless of their background, income level, or zip code.

    The way back from our high inflationary environment is going to be a long trip. But with the right policies in place and with an attitude that prioritizes on-the-ground help for our neighbors, we can lighten the burden for our neighbors during the journey.



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