Georgia Sheds Jobs; State Unemployment Rises Again

October 24, 2011

Georgia – Despite Governor Nathan Deal’s campaign promises that creating jobs would be his top priority, latest figures show Georgia’s unemployment rate has risen to 10.3%, the highest since Deal’s inauguration in January.

Georgia lost over 15,000 jobs last month alone. This job loss stands in direct contrast to the pledges of then-candidate Deal, who pledged to “kick-start the economy” while making job creation the theme of his campaign bus tour.

In October of 2010, Deal spokesman Brian Robinson stated that the future governor would “serve as Georgia’s top ambassador and salesman to bring new jobs here.” Yet, more than 470,000 Georgia citizens remain out of work, comparable to the combined populations of Athens, Augusta, Macon and Warner Robins.

Instead of addressing this issue, the Deal administration continues to blame Democrats at the national level. When asked if federal politics were inhibiting job creation in Georgia, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler stated that a “lack of leadership in Washington is a contributing factor to the overall lack of confidence in the (Georgia) economy.” Yet Butler’s explanation doesn’t address why Georgia has had higher unemployment than the rest of the nation for over four years running.

“These losses have all occurred under a Republican Administration that promised job creation. Georgians deserve better,” said Mike Berlon, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia.

“Instead of avoiding responsibility for the lack of job creation and criticizing any plans that aren’t their own to jump start the economy, we challenge republicans to put together a plan for job creation that makes sense and puts Georgians back to work.”

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