Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped to 7 percent in March, according to an April 18 news release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The state’s unemployment rate was 8.4 percent in March of 2013.
Robert Maxson, Job Location Development and coordinator at Georgia State’s Career Services, said everyone who is looking for job opportunities are affected by unemployment rates.
“It’s either 100 percent or zero percent,” Maxson said. “The job market may say [the unemployment rate] is eight percent or six percent. That’s a nice number, but if it’s affecting you, then it is 100 percent.”
Maxson also said although the unemployment rate is only a percentage, it is not a representative of all unemployment rates across the board.
Location and differing career fields are contributing factors to unemployment, according to Maxson.
He also said unemployment varies as a state-wide number, however there are many job opportunities in Atlanta and at the university.
“I work with the part-time jobs [at Georgia State]. We try to bring employers on and we are getting lots of calls,” he said.
Tosin Ajala, freshman nutrition major said he feels like Georgia State has more jobs available for students.
“We are in downtown Atlanta and this is a prominent business school in Georgia,” he said.
Ajala also said he believes most students get business and communication-related jobs on campus at Georgia State. He said examples are the call-center in the Citizen’s Trust building, dining halls and the recreational center.
Carla Bazemore-Colclough, a journalism major and tutor at the writing studio, said she feels positive about he recent drop in unemployment.
“It means that the economy is doing better. It’s probably because there’s so many businesses opening in Atlanta,” she said.
However, Bazemore-Colclough said she also feels the lower unemployment rate could hurt her or help her finding a job.
“The unemployment rate is what it is, but that doesn’t want to make someone want to hire me more. But in a sense it gives me a higher chance to get hired,” she said.
Bazemore-Colclough also said due to Georgia State expanding, more job opportunities will be available for students, such as the CURVE library opening in the fall 2014 semester.
