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With Election Day coming up in just over a month, people are beginning to wonder if the outcome of the election will affect the already volatile stock market. Financial advisor, Jake DeKinder says yes, it will have an impact – but so will hundreds of other things. DeKinder and Mark Gochnour, both of Dimensional Fund Advisors, spoke about the potential impact of the mid-term elections in a webinar on Friday made available locally to clients of Richard Young Associates of Augusta. “Is it going to have an impact? You betcha!”

Last week I reported that the Augusta Labor Market Index (LMI) was up 1.5 percent on an annual basis, but how does this stack up against other metro areas in Georgia? Better than it has in the recent past. The strongest labor markets in Georgia remain Atlanta and Savannah, increasing at 2.8 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. The LMI for Georgia increased at 2.4 percent from a year ago, the same as in the first quarter of the year. Athens continues to have strong growth. Other metro areas that used

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the economy and what’s driving the financial markets. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: We’re hearing some economic news that usually indicates strength but the financial markets are reacting as if things are bad. What is causing this disconnect? Rick: There are always some differences between the economy and the markets. Part of that is in the economy we