Employment

The Georgia Department of Labor announced late last week that the seven-county Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 4.4% in June. A year ago, the rate was 4.8%. “June’s unemployment trends tell a familiar story — Georgia’s students are stepping into our workforce as schools let out for summer, creating the temporary unemployment and hiring fluctuations typical for this time of year,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner, Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “With Georgia’s recent historic announcement of 5 million jobs, these students are stepping into a local workforce that

A local, woman-owned small business has partnered with one of the region’s largest employers to turn students into employees. WesWorks, which manages Savannah River Mission Completion’s project controls initiatives, has hired six graduates from the project controls apprenticeship program at Aiken Technical College as full-time employees. Daniel Faulk, Vice President of Projects with WesWorks, told ABD they have faced challenges transitioning potential employees from their current jobs into project controls. It is a highly sought-after field that is in demand across the country, but companies require applicants with experience. “What