Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Georgia reported its August employment figures and highlighted a decline in its unemployment
rate from 7.6% in July to 5.6%, after seasonal adjustment. The state headlined the claim that Georgia
had achieved the seventh lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
Analyzing the data, a truer picture appears that is less positive
than the overly optimistic story put out by the Georgia Department of Labor.
Unemployment rates in Georgia declined in August 2020, not
because people found work, but because large numbers of people gave up searching
for a job.
Even a cursory analysis would show that after seasonally
adjusting the data, Georgia saw employment rise by 21,000 over the month, too
few to account for the large decline in its unemployment rate.
Counting workers before seasonal adjustment, the actual
number of people with jobs actually declined over the month by more than
12,000, while the number of people working in August 2020 fell by more than 303,000
below the number recorded 12 months ago.
Labor Force Statistics
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines the labor force
to include all people age 16 and older who are either working or actively
seeking work.
Statewide, Georgia’s labor force dropped by more than 128,000
over the month, according to information provided by the Georgia Department of
Labor, Workforce Statistics & Economic Research. This decline in the labor
force accounted for most of the drop in the unemployment rate.
Georgia’s lower unemployment rate compared to other states
can be explained by the higher percentage of people in Georgia who gave up
their job search.
Georgia recorded a 2.5% decline in its labor force in August.
Nationwide, the number of people leaving the labor force declined by 0.25%.
Compared to August 2019, the state’s labor force declined by
more than 203.000, which translates to a 4% drop. The nation’s labor force fell
by 1.8% over the past 12 months.
Georgia’s population continues to increase so it is unlikely
that those leaving the labor force also left the state. More likely, people
became discouraged about their job prospects and decided to stop looking for
work.
Georgia’s Metro Areas
All metro areas in the state reported decreases in their
labor force compared to July and a year ago.
The Atlanta metro area is the largest job market in the
state and recorded the largest decline in its labor force, dropping by more
than 87,000 over the month and declining by more than 114,000 since last
August.
The Dalton area, with its heavier reliance on manufacturing,
recorded the largest percentage drop in August, down 3% over the month.
Brunswick MSA reported the largest over-the-year percentage labor
force decline with a drop of more than 13%.
Georgia’s Regional Commissions
The state has set up 12 regional commissions to assist local governments in areas such as workforce devlopment.
Among the commissions, the Atlanta Regional Commission,
which includes the city of Atlanta and surrounding counties, recorded the
largest labor force drop with a decline of more than 71,000 from July to August
and a drop of more than 81,000 from August a year ago.
The area covered by the ARC accounted for 55% of the decline
in the state’s labor force, even though it is home to 47% of the workers
included in Georgia’s labor force numbers.
Over the month, the Three Rivers Regional Commission, which
includes counties in West Central Georgia, recorded the largest percentage
drop, down more than 3%.
Compared to last year, the Central Savannah River Area Regional
Commission reported the largest decline, down more than 5.5%. The CSRA covers
13 counties in the eastern part of Central Georgia.
Dangers in using data in a misleading manner
Information, such as unemployment rates, are important
economic indicators that help guide local, state, and national policymakers in
their decisions affecting the economy.
When the numbers are misread or intentionally misreported, it
can skew economic decisions regarding taxes, social programs, and economic
development plans.
Decision makers and the public need a clear understanding of
the current economic situation and providing misleading interpretations of the
information available can result in poor economic decisions that damage the
state’s future.
Georgia Labor Force estimates are available here.
