Politics & Government
Georgia Nonprofit: New Labor Numbers Show Georgia Is Benefitting
Georgia nonprofit says real story is found at the state level, as many workers opting to leave many states for places the Peach State.
July 22, 2022
(The Center Square) – New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that total nonfarm payrolls nationwide increased by 372,000 jobs in June, a higher-than-expected increase. At the same time, the national unemployment rate remained at 3.6%.
Find out what's happening in Across Georgiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A Georgia nonprofit says the real story is found at the state level, as many workers are opting to leave many states for places like the Peach State.
“The job numbers are seen as positive overall, but the real story is at the state level where economically free states are performing so much better than more restrictive states,” Erik Randolph, the director of research for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Across Georgiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Of the 14 states that have recovered all their jobs lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 12 of them are governed by leaders more friendly to economic freedom,” Randolph added. “Recent migration data show that businesses and workers are leaving more restrictive states – like California and New York – to migrate to more free states, like Georgia, Texas, Florida and Tennessee. These states are far better positioned to weather an economic recession as well.”
Last month, Georgia officials said the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate hit an all-time low of 3% in May. However, subsequently released numbers showed that the non-seasonally adjusted state rate increased from 2.5% in April to 2.7% in May.
The focus of the work of The Center Square Georgia is state and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility.
