Will Georgia’s jobless rate hit 10%?
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
Next Thursday, the state Labor Department will report Georgia’s unemployment rate for June, and the news is likely to be rough — it could hit double digits.
In May, the jobless rate was 9.7 percent — almost 4 percent higher than a year before. Officially, more than 460,000 Georgians were looking for work, and the state had lost more than 210,000 jobs over the previous year. The number of job seekers outnumbered the number of available jobs 5-to-1.
Have you lost your job during the past year? What has life been like? Are you actively looking for work? Have you had to consider something completely different to make a living? Have you found a new job? If not, what are you doing to cope? And what do you think your prospects are for finding work?
Share your story here, and/or e-mail it to mggray@ajc.com if you’d be interested in talking with a reporter for a story in the AJC.
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© 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
18 comments Add your comment
MacArthur
July 9th, 2009
5:07 pm
It’s been 10-plus percent here in Carpetland for months. Help!
kevin
July 9th, 2009
6:23 pm
dont yall worry, obama gonna make everything alright.aint that right america?
joho
July 9th, 2009
7:04 pm
C’mon get real, its already OVER 10%, as usual, the fawning ajc is reporting NEW claims, doesn’t report those who have run outta unemployment bennies, or taken pt jobs, or have given up!!!
Nan
July 9th, 2009
7:04 pm
It seems that unemployment and the economy will continue to get worse.
It seems that Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank must have no love for the United States as they tend to do and say things to bring it down and destroy the way of life of many people. They all must have not paid any attention in their economics class. Until they are out of office the USA will suffer and that is ashame.
Laurie331
July 9th, 2009
7:09 pm
The unemployement number doesn’t account for people who are furloughed (for whatever amount of time), no longer on unemployement (their benefits have expired), under employed (not working for the full wage/salary level, ie contractors). Obama wants to start taxing companies next year for health care, cap & trade, etc. Just wait, that number will hit 15% by December. I worked as an analyst for a large investment firm. I know this stuff like the back of my hand. We need a revolution!
R.D. Stien
July 9th, 2009
7:22 pm
I am sure the all-mighty Obama will save us. Hail the great Obama!
Nan
July 9th, 2009
7:29 pm
Obama was going to create all those new jobs. Where are they?
So far all of his moves are creating more job losses so he wants to raise taxes on people who are struggling to make sure more jobs are lost. After he robs from the rich ( and rich in his mind is middle class) and gives to the poor, then the middle class becomes poor and they can not spend , causing more companies to cut back, to increase unemployment some more, and then you tax more, cut more jobs, pay more handouts, raise taxes some more, soon you have no body paying taxes, no jobs, no income, Third world economy here we come.
Also AJC sugar coats it to make things look better than they are. How about the people who can no longer collect unemployment, how about the people who took pay cuts just to keep a job.
Look At The Sheep Talk!
July 9th, 2009
8:04 pm
Poor dumb souls. Your small minds and dark soul-less hearts just will not allow you to process that Obama was hired to fix the mess you people made!
Where are all the jobs the $2 Trillion Bush tax cut was supposed to produce? Where are all the jobs the tax cuts Sonny and the boys gave to the rich were supposed to produce?
So your response is to blame the guy who has been in office for 5 months? You sad sheep have no clue just how bad your guys have screwed up do you? It’s going to take years to clean up the mess, and in some cases, a decade or so. That’s how big a FAIL you people produced.
So make your little bitter comments on blogs, keep watching Fox News so you’ll know what to say, have fun at your Neo Nazi..ur..teabag parties, and oh yeah, how’s the succession stuff going? Hopefully some of you will be leaving the country soon.
Nan
July 9th, 2009
8:51 pm
I guess sheep do talk, it seems that the sheep who follow Obama can not see. The look at the sheep person has hatred in his heart, based on the last paragraph. Talk about bitter comments, leave the country, we want to protect the country. Obama may be a nice guy but in over his head and no clue on how to fix things. Obamaman makes everything sound satisfying and delicious, he plays to your childhood wishes. He wraps everything up with hope just to make you feel good.
Sherl
July 11th, 2009
2:37 pm
Just remember sheep followed Bush into a wasteful, needless war which he did not have the money to pay for. The bill is due!
Purple
July 11th, 2009
2:41 pm
Nothing is immediate. Neither economic crisis nor recovery. No one man (Bush) could ever cause all this. No one man (Obama) could ever fix all this. I, too, am unemployed, frustrated, losing money, and mortified at the prospect of higher taxes. I live in Boston, and I’m moving to Atlanta in a couple months. The cost of living in MA is simply too much for me with no income. But, blaming someone isn’t going to get us our livelihood back. Politicians respond to pressure. Get on the government websites and find your local representative’s phone #/email. Inundate him with calls/emails that are short and pointed. “We can’t shoulder the burden of any more taxes. Give us a tax break, help small businesses, and get new jobs created FAST. Why don’t the politicians take a pay cut like the rest of us? We won’t vote for you again if you raise taxes. Then you’ll be unemployed, too.” It’s not about Red State vs Blue State; it’s about what’s best for all of us. PurplePlease.net – for freedom and independence
Elliot Garcia
July 11th, 2009
3:12 pm
Hey Sheep, How is Cap and Trade going to create more jobs? It is simply adding more tax to US Companies so that they can move overseas. Obama talks a big game but is full of empty promises.
Woodstock
July 11th, 2009
4:04 pm
Still working but it seems like we have layoffs every 3 months so that’s not too comforting. Just gotta keep the nose to the grindstone until they come and tap you on the shoulder.
jt
July 11th, 2009
4:34 pm
Good luck to all you child-support obligers out there.
Take names and write them down.
You’ll be able to deal with them after the collaspe.
Julie
July 11th, 2009
4:55 pm
The unemployment rate was 10% under Ronald Reagan making the current unemployment rate no different now. Reagan inherited a mess in 1981 and Obama inherited a mess in 2001. It took 18 months for Regan to clean up the mess and I suspect things are not going to be any different for Obama. Deep recessions suck.
Tessie JOnes
July 12th, 2009
11:48 am
My husband and I lost lay off in 2008, and life has been very hard. We are losing our faith in finding a job. All the resume we send out in mail and email are negative, no response. My husband specialty were transportation and security and I was in the administrative assistant, he is in the mid 50’s and I in late 50’s fifty. We don’t know what else to do. Thank you for listening.
dj
July 16th, 2009
11:51 am
I believe the unemployment rate is above 10% in Georgia. The media reports 10% unemployment which means 90% of the state is employed. 90% employment is not a bad number. Now, when the unemployment rate hits 50% or above, then it is time to jump ship. Since, I am part of the 10%, it would appear as if life has been pretty challenging. Nevertheless, I believe the economy will turn around and opportunities will be coming my way soon. Hopefully, the upswing will happen before my bank account runs dry.
Amber
July 17th, 2009
3:14 pm
I’m not about to get all political because thats not what this comment section is for, so, i’ll just say i’m employable, educated, hard working, dedicated, and unemployed. Complaining and placing blame is not going to help me or anyone else get a job so everyone just needs to stay as positive as possible, keep the faith, and realize that things could ALWAYS be worse for you in your life. BE thankful you woke up this morning. *steps off soapbox* Good Day!