State sets jobs record in July
philanthropic commitment to the communities it serves. The couple is continuing the mobile franchise’s tradition of donating thousands of dollars each year to local school groups, teams and community organizations. As they book events with these groups, they pledge to give back a percentage of the proceeds from each stop. Nationwide, Kona Ice has donated more than $62 million to community-based organizations since the launch in June 2007.
“Steve and Cindy share our commitment to giving back,” said Tony Lamb, founder and president of Florence, Ky.based Kona Ice. “They want to have a positive influence on the people in their community, whether it’s new text books, sports uniforms or, simply, a smile. We are proud to have them on-board. Together, we are excited to make a difference in the lives of those around us.”
Beyond fundraisers, popular spots for the food truck franchise include stops throughout Walker and Catoosa at fairs, festivals, corporate events, neighborhood socials, church events and birthday parties. The truck also maintains regular weekday and weekend routes.
To learn more about Kona Ice of Walker and Catoosa and to book your next event, contact the Garlands by email at cgarland@kona-ice.com or by phone at 423-876-9632.
Georgia added jobs again in July as the state’s unemployment rate approached an all-time low, State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday, Aug. 15.
The commissioner also noted that preliminary figures showed Georgia’s number of employed residents continued to climb. Meanwhile, Georgia’s workforce dipped slightly again.
The July jobs number was a record again.
“It seems like we are setting a record for jobs almost every month,” Butler said. “I’d like to see the labor force start climbing. But we are creating jobs and people continue to get those jobs. Overall, I’m pleased with how Georgia did in July.”
Nationally, the unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 3.7 percent. Georgia’s rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to settle at 3.6 percent. A year ago, Georgia’s unemployment rate sat at 3.8 percent. Georgia’s alltime low of 3.4 percent was recorded in 2000.
Meanwhile, Georgia added 3,400 jobs in July, pushing the total to 4.62 million jobs – a new record for the state. That number is up nearly 75,000 from the same time last year.
“Georgia has consistently done as well or better than the national economy,” Butler said. “Georgia has a very mature, diverse economy.”
Georgia had two job sectors that added at least 1,000 jobs in July:
Professional/business services, 1,800
Trade/transportation/ utilities, 1,000
In terms of annual change, four sectors were up more than 10,000:
Professional/business services, 16,700
Education/health services, 15,900
Construction, 12,400
Leisure/hospitality 11,600
In July, the number of employed residents went up again with a gain of 4,389 that pushed Georgia’s number of employed to 4.92 million.
Georgia’s labor force slipped again in July, dropping by less than 1,000 versus a total work force of more than 5.1 million. Even with the monthly loss, the labor force total remained higher than the same month a year ago.
At the same time, new claims for unemployment increased in July. The total number of claims filed in July climbed by 51 percent. They were down by about 6 percent compared with July 2018.
In July, Employgeorgia. com noted about 66,000 job postings.