Blog David Schaefer Worker Justice Labor Day 2025: State Complacency and Federal Decisions Threaten Workers’ Economic Security September 1, 2025 / August 28, 2025 by David Schaefer Georgia is often cited as “no. 1 for business,” but developments in 2025 underscore the state’s history of disinvesting in workers’ access to a living wage, nutrition, healthcare and more. For example, 34 states have a minimum wage that is above the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour, while Georgia’s state minimum wage remains below the […] Read more »
Budget and Taxes Budget Primer Cash and Safety Net Economic Justice Ife Finch Floyd Worker Justice Georgia Economic Justice Primer for State Fiscal Year 2026 June 30, 2025 / July 1, 2025 by Ife Finch Floyd Read More of the 2026 Budget Primer here. The Georgia Department of Labor FY 2026 Budget The Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) is an agency tasked with providing employment services for businesses and workers, workforce data and maintaining an Unemployment Insurance (UI) system. The FY 2026 DOL budget is about $8.9 million, a $352,000, a […] Read more »
Budget and Taxes Fact Sheets Federal Policy Worker Justice Federal Workers in Georgia March 24, 2025 / March 25, 2025 by Guest Contributor Federal workers are vital to Georgia’s economy The administration is targeting federal employees who serve Georgia’s veterans, seniors and farmers; keep our airports and national parks safe; and carry out critical missions such as medical research and disease prevention. Federal employees and their families are also our neighbors who live, work and send their children […] Read more »
Bill Analysis Briefs Budget and Taxes Economic Justice Ray Khalfani Worker Justice Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Labor February 17, 2025 / February 17, 2025 by Ray Khalfani The Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) is an agency tasked with maintaining a resilient Unemployment Insurance (UI) system to protect workers who lose jobs at no fault of their own during their transition back into the workforce. This resilience provides economic stability during recessions. DOL is also tasked with generating revenue through contributions that it […] Read more »
Blog Economic Justice Ray Khalfani Worker Justice Stand with Georgia Workers this Labor Day: Protect and Dignify Labor September 2, 2024 / September 3, 2024 by Ray Khalfani Happy Labor Day, Georgia! Labor Day is a time to reflect on the values that unite us as Georgians. Across our state, there is a shared belief that it’s PEOPLE who drive our economy. We believe that our state government plays a vital role in sustaining our economy, and that businesses can thrive—but only when […] Read more »
Budget Primer Cash and Safety Net Economic Justice Ife Finch Floyd Ray Khalfani Reports Worker Justice Georgia Human Services Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2025 August 8, 2024 / August 8, 2024 by Ife Finch Floyd This section is co-authored by Director of Economic Justice Ife Finch Floyd and Senior Analyst of Worker Justice and Criminal Legal Systems Ray Khalfani. The 20-Year View In 2004 and again in 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, approximately 1 in 5 children lived in poverty. In addition, about 1 in […] Read more » Budget Department of Human Services DHS foster-care FY 2024 Human Services medicaid Social Services State Budget Workforce Challenges
Cash and Safety Net Economic Justice Ife Finch Floyd Reports Worker Justice From Barriers to Bridges: Expanding Access to Child Care and Improving Upward Mobility for Georgia’s Child Care Workers May 21, 2024 / May 28, 2024 by Ife Finch Floyd Executive Summary The child care system in Georgia creates barriers to economic opportunity for women workers and early childhood education (ECE) teachers who are mostly women. Costs are too high relative to medium family income in most Georgia counties. For families of color, child care costs take up a greater share of their median […] Read more »
Blog Budget and Taxes Criminal Legal System Reform Health Justice Higher Education K-12 Education People Powered Prosperity Staci Fox Worker Justice Sine Die 2024 March 29, 2024 / April 11, 2024 by Staci Fox Introduction Staci Fox, President and CEO When the 2024 Legislative Session began on January 8th, Georgia was sitting on $10.9 billion in undesignated, unspent public funds and a $5.4 billion Revenue Shortfall Reserve (RSR). The possibilities to make big investments on behalf of all Georgians were endless. Late last year, GBPI pondered Georgia’s $16 Billion […] Read more » Budget Criminal Legal Systems Economic Justice Education health-care Sine Die tax
Blog Ray Khalfani Worker Justice GBPI submits comment on the 2024-2027 Combined Strategic Workforce Development Plan March 5, 2024 by Ray Khalfani This letter constitutes Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s (GBPI) feedback on the 2024-2027 Combined Strategic Workforce Development Plan (State WIOA Plan). GBPI would like to acknowledge our State Workforce Development Board’s (SWDB) commitment to addressing workforce needs during ongoing structural changes to streamline the administration of WIOA services through the state’s technical college system. We […] Read more »
Blog Budget and Taxes Criminal Legal System Reform Health Justice Higher Education Hillary Dong K-12 Education People Powered Prosperity Worker Justice Crossover Day 2024: Large Surplus Remains; Ed Legislation Tips Positively; Property Tax and Immigration Policy Reverse Progress February 29, 2024 / March 4, 2024 by Hillary Dong Need help understanding these bills? A bill glossary is at the bottom of this page. You can also view our bill tracker here. Yesterday was Crossover Day, the day by which a bill must pass out of its originating legislative chamber to be considered by the other chamber before the end of Georgia’s Legislative Session. […] Read more » Budget Criminal Legal Systems Crossover Day Economic Justice Education health-care tax
