The second graph shows Georgia nonfarm employment (CES data) with the one-month change each month from January 2004 through June 2014 (latest available from BLS). Both show seasonally adjusted data.
Both graphs show the downturn in jobs during the recession. Note how the U.S. data not only recovers but stays clearly above the 0 line, while the Georgia data are choppier and stays closer to the 0 job growth, and sometimes slips into negative (job loss) territory since the end of the recession and even before the recession began in December 2007.
Except for late 2010 - early 2011 that nearly offset each other, the job loss months in Georgia after the recession are more modest losses than those before the recession, but you don't see as much momentum upward in the up months after the recession than before. It is like an airplane trying to get speed to get off the ground but keeps bouncing back down.
Georgia continues to be pulled along by the national economy. If the national economy slows, there is no indication Georgia can do anything but follow along and slow as well, if not even experience a sharper jobs decline.
A cautionary tale for the future?
Nonfarm employment, U.S., January 2004 - July 2014, seasonally adjusted
Nonfarm employment, Georgia, January 2004 - June 2014, seasonally adjusted
And, believe it or not, the data only looks worse for Georgia if you look at it not seasonally adjusted, where the number of months of job losses greater than 50,000 exceed the number of months of gains greater than 50,000.
Nonfarm employment, Georgia, January 2004 - June 2014, not seasonally adjusted
