ATLANTA — A new leader is officially on the job at the Georgia Department of Labor.
Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes is the first Latina to hold statewide office in Georgia.
Channel 2’s Linda Stouffer sat down with Rivera Holmes on Tuesday, where she asked her about people’s concerns about the economy.
“What is your sense of the jobs picture right now in Georgia?” Stouffer asked.
“The jobs picture in Georgia looks good,” Rivera Holmes said. “We have five million jobs in Georgia, which is really significant. We added jobs year over year, month over month, and we’re seeing that not just as a healthy statewide picture, but you’re seeing in our metros as well.”
The Georgia unemployment rate is 3.6%, holding steady from the previous month.
That’s better than the national average of 4.2%.
Gov. Brian Kemp swore in Rivera Holmes on April 4. She told Stouffer that since then, she’s been meeting with the state’s employers and workers.
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“You’ve been listening to a lot of people in those conversations. What are you hearing?” Stouffer asked.
“I’m hearing that Georgians want to know more about how to connect to resources. Folks are wanting to know, what are the hot jobs? What kind of skills do I need?” Rivera Holmes said.
“With the concerns right now about the economy, what’s your best advice to someone in Georgia looking for a job or looking for better job?” Stouffer asked Rivera Holmes.
“Certainly, ensure that you are marketable, and look at your resume, is it up to date?” Rivera Holmes said. “Constantly be looking at what the opportunities are. Ensure that you are connecting and networking. Make sure that you have the credentials that you need for employers to make yourself marketable. And regardless of industries that you’re in, there are opportunities within sectors.”
“What will you be looking for to see if there’s any change?” Stouffer asked Rivera Holmes.
“You know, we’re really monitoring the situation, and it’s very natural for our businesses and our citizens to have questions about the uncertainty. It is evolving very fast. And what we’re advising all of our businesses, and our citizens, is to really look for factual information,” Rivera Holmes said. “We’re still seeing employers invest and create jobs. We’re just seeing employers also be mindful about where they’re investing, how they’re investing.”
There have been recent job cuts. Those numbers can take a few months to be reflected in the unemployment system.
One thing Rivera Holmes is focused on now is completely updating the state’s computer system for the Labor Department, which she said will be a big upgrade to better serve Georgians.
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