A Senate Study Committee on Occupational Licensing got an in-depth look at the state’s workforce needs during its first meeting of the year Thursday in Macon. The committee is charged with examining the state’s current occupational licensing laws and requirements to determine if changes are needed to encourage, promote, and foster employment and business growth in Georgia.
Among the speakers was Daniela Perry, VP, Georgia Chamber Foundation, who talked about the state’s workforce needs — past, present, and future. She stated that Georgia currently has 350,000 unique job postings. Projections indicate that the number of jobs in the state will increase by 2 million over the next decade, while the population is expected to increase by 1.5 million.
“We will need to look at innovative ways to meet our workforce needs,” said Perry.
According to Perry, the state’s labor force rate is 61.3 percent, leaving about 40 percent of the state’s eligible workforce not in the labor pool currently. That has declined from a 69 percent labor force rate in 1998. The workforce participation trend is not unique to Georgia, it is occurring nationally. Georgia seems to fall in the middle of the pack – although some areas in the state are lower than the national average.
State Sen. Larry Walker, R-Perry, who serves as Chairman of the Committee, said he felt Georgia might be forced to recruit workers from other states with the projected job growth versus projected population growth.
“If so, licensing could become more of a problem, and we could possibly be at a competitive disadvantage if we have a burdensome licensing procedure,” he said.
Gabe Sterling, Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Secretary of State, told the committee that 500,000 people are currently licensed in the state of Georgia. The state currently has 43 licensing boards and 197 license types. He reported that licensing generates $24-$25 million a year – and the budget for the department is $8.5million. Alabama, he said, spends $30 million on licensing.
Sterling stated that the Secretary of State’s office is in the process of implementing a new software system that should help with the licensing process. The rollout of the first section is expected in October 2023, he said.
Committee members are looking at several areas of focus including licensing for military and their families, and licensing for those who were formerly incarcerated. According to information presented Thursday, 40 percent of Georgians have a criminal history, and many feel they can’t get a job because of their past. Also, Georgia has the 9th largest veteran population and 5th largest active military population.
