James Nov-Dec 2023 web - Flipbook - Page 34
he Georgia Chamber of Commerce has
existed to serve our members, investors
and the citizens of our great state for over a
century. Through our policy advocacy, the
leadership of Gov. Brian Kemp and the many
public-private partnerships throughout the state, Georgia has witnessed record-breaking economic growth
and has maintained the designation of “Best Place to Do
Business” for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years.
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During the 2023 legislative session, we were proud
to support legislation that further bolsters the economy
and promotes investment for years to come. Bills were
passed into law to provide income tax relief to Georgia’s
families and businesses, protect our critical infrastructure and expand education and literacy resources for
our K-12 students. But despite these victories, there
are still several critical areas of improvement needed to
ensure the future of Georgia’s economic success. The
Peach State has boasted record-breaking economic
growth five years in a row with over 2,000 new or expanded project locations, $134 billion in capital investment, $68 billion in real Gross Domestic Product growth
and over 268,000 jobs created.
This is great news, but the fact is these companies
that have invested billions of dollars throughout the
state are facing long-term global workforce shortages.
In Georgia, there are currently 3.2 million eligible citizens who are not working, and for every three jobs posted we have one person seeking employment. To win
the ongoing war for talent, we must prepare, attract and
retain the workforce of the future. The next generation
of talent must have a strong work ethic, and understand
the opportunities in healthcare, manufacturing and the
skilled trades. This means we must increase access to
our technical schools and universities.
The governor’s announcement of the new GEORGIA MATCH Program proves that our state is leading
the way in seeking solutions to the workforce shortage by offering one of the largest direct admissions
programs to our technical schools and colleges in the
country. The business community is working with
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the Georgia
Senate to enact licensure reform that streamlines the
process for out-of-state military spouses to receive their
professional licenses and expands second-chance hiring programs. We are also continuing our work with the
Georgia House of Representatives on expanding home
ownership for our children and the next generation of
talent. Next, we must maintain the economic tools and