Booming economy leads to shortage of metro school bus drivers

When the economy is doing well with low unemployment, certain jobs become harder to fill. Unfortunately for school transportation directors, bus driver is one of them.

“While this is a great time to be an employee, it’s not necessarily the best time to be an employer,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “For many workers it boils down to pay and maybe benefits. The state’s fantastic economy is pushing up pay rates.”

The state unemployment rate for July dipped below 4 percent for the first time in 15 years. At the same time, Georgia set records for jobs, labor force and number of employed residents as the state’s economy continued to boom, Butler said.

“Georgia, like the nation, is in a period of continued economic growth,” the commissioner said. “We continue to set records in all the key metrics. This is a great time to live and work in Georgia.”

The July unemployment rate came in at 3.9 percent, down from 4.1 percent in June. In July, Georgia added another 5,300 jobs to push the state’s total number to 4.54 million – a record. The state added 13,506 to the employment rolls for the month, compared to a monthly average around 10,000 for the past year.

But when people seeking work have more possibilities to choose from, many are far less likely to choose a school bus.