The latest Georgia jobs report showed positive and negative signs, depending on where you look. The positive signs were an addition of 6,500 new hires. The unemployment number stayed at 5.5%, however, which is nearly a full percentage point lower than the national average. 

The 5.5% rate isn't all bad, as it includes more people entering the workforce, which is a positive sign as it shows people are more confident in finding a position. Remember that those who are unemployed and NOT looking for work do not count in these numbers, so the more people looking can actually be a positive sign. 

For those that are looking and those that have been discouraged, we want you to know there is help available. WorkSource Georgia has a litany of programs, services, and partners whose goal is creating the best workforce in the nation. Here's a brief rundown of some of those programs and services WorkSource Georgia and its partners have created to help Georgians and Georgia businesses create the ideal workforce.   

  • Georgia WorkSmart is a work-based learning initiative operated by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The initiative promotes work-based learning models, such as apprenticeships, as a workforce development tool throughout the State. Georgia WorkSmart assists Georgia companies in developing and implementing customized programs to meet their specific hiring and training needs.
  • The High Demand Career Initiative was created with the goal of identifying how best to train Georgia’s future workforce for new and emerging markets. A range of in-demand and difficult-to-fill positions was identified, along with essential workforce skills that are difficult to find in potential employees. This allows colleges, universities, and high schools to better train today’s workforce.
  • Trade Five is the state’s workforce-awareness program geared toward increasing awareness of high-demand careers in five key industries: Construction, Manufacturing, Telecommunication, Energy, and Logistics. Trade Five focuses on enhancing the state’s talent pipeline in these high-demand industries by educating Georgia’s future workforce on promising careers in the skilled trades.
  • Georgia Quick Start is a free program offered by the Technical College System of Georgia, a prominent Workforce partner. The oldest program of its kind in the U.S., Quick Start has updated the skill sets of more than 1 million employees in 6,500 projects. We often here business leaders say they have more jobs than skilled applicants. Quick Start wants to change that by creating training programs specifically designed to provide skilled labor.

These are just some of the resources WorkSource Georgia and its partners have at your disposal. Thanks to a federal program, we have the funds to help train Georgia citizens in a variety of fields as well as work with Georgia businesses to identify workforce needs.

We want Georgia to be the best state to live, work, and play. The best way to do that is to have the best workforce in the country. These services and programs are designed to help you, Georgia citizens. Please reach out to your local Workforce Development career centers to get started on finding a new career to better yourself and your community.