(Media release from the Georgia Department of Labor):
Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson has appointed Louis DeBroux as Chief of Staff to the Commissioner and Dana Woodall as Chief Operating Officer for the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL). Commissioner Thompson also announced that Georgia’s April unemployment rate remained steady at 3.1 percent for the ninth consecutive month and is three-tenths of a percent lower than the national unemployment rate.
“The right people in the right place empowered to make the right decisions have been my goal from day one,” said Commissioner Bruce Thompson. “With the appointments of Louis DeBroux as Chief of Staff and Dana Woodall as Chief Operating Officer, I am confident the right leadership is in place to ensure Georgia remains a great place to work and do business. If ‘attitude reflects leadership,’ we are well on our way to successfully achieving our goals. As a testament to Georgia’s strong leadership at every level, the state’s economy continues to soar with low unemployment and job growth in virtually every sector.”
As Chief of Staff, Louis DeBroux will work closely with the Commissioner and the executive leadership team to ensure that productivity, efficiencies, and strategic initiatives are met within the department.
Before this role, Louis served as part of the agency’s External Affairs and Special Projects team. Louis also worked as the Expediting Manager by ESI of Tennessee, an EPC power generation engineering firm based in Kennesaw, for over twenty years. He served as then-Senator Bruce Thompson’s Campaign Chairman for his campaign to become Georgia’s Labor Commissioner.
As Chief Operating Officer, Dana Woodall’s work will be focused on helping to modernize the Department of Labor, building staff morale and culture, and streamlining efficiencies in the agency to make it the premiere labor department in the nation.
Before her role as COO, Dana served as Executive Counsel to the Commissioner and Interim Chief Information Officer for the agency. Dana holds a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and has an extensive history of prosecutorial and private practice experience.
Commissioner Thompson also announced today that Georgia’s April unemployment rate was 3.1 percent, unchanged from a revised 3.1 percent in March. The unemployment rate held at 3.1 percent for nine consecutive months and was three-tenths lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.4 percent. In March, Georgia had the highest labor force participation rate in the southeast, 61.2 percent, and the highest employment-to-population ratio in the region, 59.2 percent.
Jobs were up by 10,400 (0.2%) over the month and up by 111,800 (2.3%) over the year to 4,894,300, an all-time high.
Job numbers were at an all-time high in Private Education and Health Services, 655,900; Leisure and Hospitality, 518,400; and in Financial Activities, 279,400.
The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains included Health Care and Social Assistance, 2,700; Accommodation and Food Services, 2,600; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, 2,300; Retail Trade, 2,100; Finance and Insurance, 1,600; Transportation and Warehousing, 1,200; and Wholesale Trade, 1,100.
The sectors with the most over-the-year job gains included Accommodation and Food Services, 31,600; Health Care and Social Assistance, 30,200; Local Government, 11,100; Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, 8,400; and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, 6,500.
Georgia’s labor force increased for the seventh consecutive month by 14,557 to 5,275,896, an all-time high, and has risen by 42,180 since the beginning of the year – the labor force participation rate held at 61.2 percent.
For the sixth consecutive month, the number of employed was up by 14,088 to 5,110,471, an all-time high, and has risen 38,216 since the beginning of the year – the employment-to-population ration was up one-tenth to 59.3 percent.
In April, over 154,000 job listings were online for Georgians to access. The top five employers included Amazon, 2,500; Wellstar Health System, 2,200; Walmart, 1,800; Piedmont Healthcare, 1,200; and University of Georgia, 1,000.
The top five industries included Health Care, 32,300; Retail Trade, 18,400; Accommodation and Food Services, 13,300; Manufacturing, 10,700; and Finance and Insurance, 8,200.
The top five occupations included Health Care (including Nursing), 31,300; Sales, 17,700; Hospitality, Food, and Tourism, 15,300; Business Management and Operations, 14,400; and Information Technology, 9,900.
Initial claims were up 3,301 (15%) from March to 25,407 in April. Over the year, initial claims were up 7,984 (46%).
For personalized assistance, employers can reach Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) staff at https://dol.georgia.gov/employeremail. Additionally, by visiting Employ Georgia, employers can manage job openings and access the state’s talent pool. GDOL’s Career Centers are providing in-person employment services for customers across the state.
For more information on jobs and current labor force data, visit Georgia Labor Market Explorer to view a comprehensive report.