GBPI In The News Unemployment rate in Georgia reaches all-time high May 21, 2020 / June 26, 2020 by Caitlin Highland Georgia’s unemployment rate for April was the highest rate the state has ever seen, the state’s top labor official said Thursday. The unemployment rate was 11.9 percent in April, jumping 7.3 percentage points from March. The month-to-month increase also was highest one-month increase ever recorded in the state, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said. […] Read more » COVID-19 Unemployment unemployment rate
GBPI In The News Furloughs likely, again, as part of Georgia agencies’ budget cut plans May 20, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Caitlin Highland The economic shutdown brought on by the pandemic has led to mass unemployment, and some businesses remain closed. Many of those that have opened are doing limited business. […] The massive University System of Georgia has already announced likely furloughs to its employees. Child welfare worker furloughs were mentioned during a Department of Human Services board meeting […] Read more » Alex Camardelle Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19
GBPI In The News Georgia’s Stressed Health Care ‘Safety Net’ Could Sway Voters May 11, 2020 / June 26, 2020 by Caitlin Highland Karen Kinsell is the only doctor in southwest Georgia’s Clay County. A third of her patients are uninsured. […] Laura Harker, a health policy analyst with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, says about 20% of Georgia adults are uninsured and the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid has left the state without a safety net […] Read more » COVID-19 Heath Care Laura Harker medicaid
GBPI In The News Georgia legislators to host webinar on how the state budget impacts Georgians May 8, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Caitlin Highland As the state grapples with budget cuts from COVID-19, two Georgia legislators want to make citizens aware of how some proposed cuts will impact Georgians. According to a press release, State Representative Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) and State Senator Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) will host a pre-session webinar on how the state budget impacts Georgians. Jennifer […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19 Georgia General Assembly in the community Jennifer Owens Webinar
GBPI In The News Georgia agencies told to plan billions in spending cuts due to pandemic May 1, 2020 / June 26, 2020 by Caitlin Highland State agencies were told Friday they should plan on cutting more than $3.5 billion from their budgets in the upcoming fiscal year, a move that could bring furloughs and layoffs among Georgia’s 200,000 teachers and state employees. […] Danny Kanso, a budget analyst for the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute think tank, said spending cuts […] Read more » Budget Cuts COVID-19 danny kanso Tobacco Tax
GBPI In The News Think tank does the math on coronavirus-driven state budget shortfall April 20, 2020 / June 26, 2020 by Caitlin Highland The economic impacts of coronavirus could put the state government $3 billion to $4 billion in the hole during the next fiscal year, an Atlanta-based public policy think tank warned Monday. Closing such a huge budget shortfall without massive cuts to state agencies and vital services is going to require massive federal assistance, more aggressive […] Read more » Alex Camardelle Budget COVID-19 danny kanso economy revenue
GBPI In The News Virus’ impact on state government could be worse than Great Recession April 19, 2020 / June 23, 2020 by Caitlin Highland The Great Recession forced state governments across the country to lay off or furlough millions of workers and cut services to everything from schools to parks, but some warn the coronavirus pandemic could cause even more economic pain. Predictions are that states could combine to face up to a $500 billion shortfall over the next […] Read more » Budget COVID-19 Great Recession State Taxes Unemployment
GBPI In The News 1 in 5 Georgians now out of work in COVID-19 slowdown April 17, 2020 / June 23, 2020 by Caitlin Highland Nearly one in five Georgia workers is now unemployed, according to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Labor. That’s an unemployment rate of around 18 percent to 20 percent, and it’s likely to spike even higher. About 900,000 Georgia workers filed initial unemployment claims in the four weeks ending April 11, according to the […] Read more » Alex Camardelle COVID-19 racial equity Unemployment
GBPI In The News Georgia public colleges could take $350 million hit from virus April 14, 2020 / June 23, 2020 by Caitlin Highland The University System of Georgia faces revenue losses of $340 million to $350 million through this summer because of coronavirus impacts, according to University System Chancellor Steve Wrigley. The system’s per-student funding from the state is already down 35 percent over the past 20 years, he reminded members of the state Board of Regents in […] Read more » cares act COVID-19 Higher Education Jennifer Lee University of Georgia University System of Georgia
Coronavirus GBPI In The News Worker Justice Atlanta’s Low-Wage Workers: Most at Risk, First to be Cut in Crisis March 25, 2020 / June 23, 2020 by Caitlin Highland As virus-linked actions slam the brakes on the metro Atlanta economy, the first to be hurt are the workers who are already in the most precarious positions, earning low wages and living paycheck to paycheck. Restaurants are going to “take out only” — or closing altogether — and many of those people see their jobs cut. “The […] Read more » coronavirus COVID-19 Unemployment