NEWS & OPINIONS
Helping Children Adjust to Holidays During the Pandemic
Helping Children Adjust to Holidays During the Pandemic By Guest Blogger Jen Johnson "We have a unique opportunity to introduce this social skill this year due to the financial impacts of the pandemic." Have you ever...
How Can You Measure Welfare Program Success? Part 1
When someone needs financial help or workforce training from the government, where do they go?
If we just allowed people to navigate federal programs on their own, the average person would be completely overw
Health Care Waiver Approvals Are Good News
By Erik Randolph Amidst the noise of the presidential election, the mainstream news media missed a major announcement the prior Sunday that promises to positively impact the lives of many Georgians. The announcement could signal a turning point in the near...
GCO welcomes Jace Brooks as Director of the Gwinnett Workforce Initiative
As a member of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, Jace had worked for years to bring together nonprofits with government resources in the human-services area. All of these efforts went into overdrive when the first case of COVID-19 arrived in Gwinnett County.
Statement from GCO president Randy Hicks on 2020 election results
Election night is over but the most impactful decisions occur in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
Op-Ed: It’s time for Georgia to reign in policing for profit
Much needed conversations are happening in recent weeks across Georgia and our nation on policing reforms. One practical area of reform that can’t fall by the wayside is this: It’s time to break the connection between policing and profit.
The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NATIONAL REVIEW
Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty. ...Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In...
Welfare Cliffs and Gaps: The role health insurance plays in upward mobility
Cody and Estelle are a young married couple living in a suburban neighborhood. Cody has a full-time job and Estelle is a nanny so she can have their daughter with her at work. They make just enough money to pay the rent…
The Best Administrative Structure for Welfare
When someone needs financial help or workforce training from the government, where do they go?
If we just allowed people to navigate federal programs on their own, the average person would be completely overw
We could all use a good laugh right now, right?
We’re excited to announce that comedian and inspirational speaker Michael Jr. will be joining us as a keynote speaker for Breakthrough Online 2020.
New GCO poll: 81% of parents support educational microgrants during COVID-19
The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) today released the results of a parent opinion poll that found 81 percent of respondents in favor of using federal emergency relief funds to help parents cover some educational costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
How Second Chances Impact Communities
Our communities need to understand and appreciate Kevin and others like him. We must begin to see past our biases and speak life into those who have fallen. The poverty of community is just as important (if not more important) than economic poverty, and the butterfly effect I am describing is always at play either in a positive or in a negative way.
MEDIA MENTIONS
Amid Recession Fears, Economically Free States Continue to Outperform
Freer states that were more reluctant to shut down their economies due to COVID-19 are doing much better economically than states with severe shutdowns.
Education Promise Scholarships Should be a Winning Issue
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a watershed moment for expanding educational options for Georgia students. For many parents and families, the pandemic was the crisis point that showed them, in stark reality…
What the June inflation numbers mean for the poor
The inflationary environment in the U.S. and around the world continues to go from bad to worse. On July 13, the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics announced that in June the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1.3%, not seasonally adjusted.
Fixing things at the local level without government
Inflation, recession , and stagflation are on the minds of most people. A recent Wall Street Journal-NORC poll showed that most people think the economy is in trouble. More than 4 in 5 people, 83% of respondents, said the nation's economy is "poor or not so...
June CPI exceeded expectations and was the fastest pace for inflation in four decades
Key Points Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1.3 June CPI exceeded expectations Fastest pace for inflation in four decades Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in June the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1.3, not seasonally adjusted. Year over...
Georgia experts blame federal government at least partly for state’s inflationary woes
Georgia isn’t immune to the highest inflation in decades, and local pundits say the federal government is at least partly to blame. On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 1.3% in June...
Georgia nonprofit: New labor numbers show Georgia is benefitting
New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that total nonfarm payrolls nationwide increased by 372,000 jobs in June, a higher-than-expected increase. At the same time, the national unemployment rate remained at 3.6%. A Georgia nonprofit says the real...
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the unemployment rate remained at 3.6%
Key Points Total nonfarm payrolls for the U.S. rose by 372,000 Unemployment rate remained at 3.6%. On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that total nonfarm payrolls for the U.S. rose by 372,000 in June and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6%. The...
