ATLANTA — Democrat Jason Carter attacked Republican rival Gov. Nathan Deal Thursday for the rise in the state’s unemployment rate while the governor blamed technical errors and an influx of out-of-state job seekers.
The unemployment rate for August, released in the morning before the candidates’ separate press conferences, climbed to 8.1 percent, an increase from 7.7 percent in July. That kept Georgia as the second-highest unemployment rate in the country, with only Mississippi worse.
“This is disastrous news for families all across Georgia who are suffering the consequences of Gov. Deal’s failed policies,” Carter said. “On Gov. Deal’s watch, not only has Georgia gone through the slowest jobs recovery in the nation, we appear to be reversing course.”
The rate was above 10 percent when Deal took office four years ago.
The Republican said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics routinely adjusts Georgia’s rate downward six months after reports come out, which will be well after Election Day in this case.
“The data has been historically faulty,” Deal said.
At the same time, the fact that Georgia is creating jobs — 24,700 last month, according to the Georgia Department of Labor — actually makes it harder for the unemployment rate to fall because newcomers keep adding to the pool of those out of work.
“What happens is whenever you have jobs, people come to take those jobs,” Deal said, adding that three neighboring states have seen their work force shrink, which improved their unemployment rates.
Carter pointed the finger at Deal’s spending on public schools, saying the remedy is bigger budgets. He also told Atlanta CEOs Wednesday that Deal does a poor job of economic development.
Libertarian nominee Andrew Hunt acknowledged Deal’s observation about the regular rate adjustments from the federal agency.
“He has an argument that he can make,” Hunt said. “But even if the adjustment is half a point as usual, the rate is still too high.”
Hunt’s own proposal is to stimulate employment by having the state pay companies’ federal payroll taxes for all jobs over $11 per hour.
Hunt and Carter’s campaign press secretary showed up at Deal’s news conference where the governor announced he would add film, computer programming, engineering technician and precision manufacturing to the list of programs qualifying for a free technical-college education. In all, there would be 11 careers eligible for the free schooling because of the high demand for those workers, Deal said.