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State jobless rate inches up to 9 percent in June
Staff Report
Updated: Jul 19, 2012, 9:32 PM
Published: Jul 19, 2012, 9:34 PM
ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 9.0 percent in June, up one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.9 percent in May, the first increase in almost a year. The jobless rate was 9.9 percent in June a year ago.
“The unemployment rate traditionally inches up in June because new graduates and people hunting summer jobs enter the job market at the same time the private and public schools are laying off for the summer,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.
The number of jobs dropped by 8,200, or two-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,941,500 in May to 3,933,300 in June.
“The June job loss is a lot less than we anticipated, based on recent trends,” said Butler, “and despite the overall loss, we gained 1,500 manufacturing jobs and 900 in construction. This is encouraging.”
While Georgia lost 8,200 jobs, the state has averaged losing 27,100 jobs between May and June since 2008.
The number of jobs in June was 45,200 more than the 3,888,100 in June 2011. The growth was in professional and business services, 23,900; trade, transportation, and warehousing, 15,200; education and health care, 7,300; manufacturing, 4,300; and leisure and hospitality, 2,400.
The state’s labor force increased to 4,758,610 in June, up from 4,757,140 in May. Georgia’s labor force has increased 13 of the past 14 months, while the national labor force has increased eight of the past 14 months.
There were 48,879 first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in June, up 2,116, or 4.5 percent, from May. However, initial claims declined over the year, dropping by 10,102, or 17.1 percent, from 58,981 in June 2011.
The number of long-term unemployed workers decreased to 230,100 in June, down 6,800 from 236,900 in May. And, the number of long-term unemployed is down 20,400, or 8.1 percent, from 250,500 in June 2011. The long-term unemployed, those out of work for more than 26 weeks, make up 53.4 percent of those unemployed in Georgia.
Effingham ECCA Students Build Electric Car with Hyundai
From wiring to problem-solving, Effingham juniors Rowand Smart, left, and Dexter Bohlman tackle the challenges of building an electric car alongside engineering director Aaron Parker. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)
Mya Taylor
Updated: Sep 23, 2025, 1:44 PM
Published: Sep 23, 2025, 1:47 PM
SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — For five months, 10 engineering students at Effingham College and Career Academy spent afternoons with wrenches, wires and instruction manuals, turning boxes of parts into something extraordinary — a working electric car.
The build was part of a partnership between ECCA’s engineering lab and the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in nearby Ellabell. Funded through $150,000 in state grants and supported by Hyundai’s donation of tools, the project gave students hands-on experience in electric vehicle technology while tying classroom learning to one of the region’s most significant new industries.
Finding their place in the project
Junior Dexter Bohlman hadn’t expected to be part of the build. A scheduling error placed him in a higher-level engineering class, and before long he was wiring railings, connecting a key fob and shaping the steering panel.
Much of the work he did alone. The wiring — 250 to 450 terminals in all — was especially tricky.
“You have to figure out how to manage the wires to make it so that they’re less complicated,” Bohlman said. “On the top rail it’s a little bit of a mess, but down there we managed to get it a little more concise.”
For Bohlman, the project became more than an assignment. It gave him experience to add to his aerospace résumé and a sense of ownership in something bigger than himself.
Classmate Rowand Smart also joined by accident, after his schedule shifted. At first, he said, his enthusiasm for engineering was fading. The project changed that.
“It turned into something that I was actually interested in because it’s kind of a hobby working on my truck and seeing the less mechanical and more electrical part of it,” Smart said. “The wiring, the programming, all of that was really interesting.”
Smart’s father and grandfather were both mechanics, and he said their influence helped guide him through the toughest parts of the build.
ECCA juniors Dexter Bohlman and Rowand Smart helped turn kits of parts into a drivable electric car — then signed their names on the project to mark their role in the hands-on Hyundai partnership. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)
Learning by doing
Students worked four days a week on the car, often troubleshooting unexpected problems.
“We had to figure out what we were going to do, find the parts, read the instructions before we put it together, and make sure we had the right equipment,” Smart said.
Together they learned not only how to wire circuits and measure voltage but also how to rely on one another.
Engineering Director Aaron Parker said the students’ persistence reflected what he calls the “four C’s” — creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.
A proud moment
By May, the car was ready for its first test run. Getting it out of the lab was almost as hard as building it — four adults and 10 students had to tilt and lift the vehicle through a doorway.
Once outside, the students each took turns driving. For Bohlman and Smart, it was the highlight of months of effort.
“It was probably one of my proudest moments of students, especially upon completion,” Parker said.
The car later went on display at Stemposium, a community event where STEM students showcase their work. Families and staff stopped to admire what the team had built.
Looking forward
Bohlman said he dreams of an affordable electric rally car, while Smart imagines a Mustang with electric power. Both said the project changed how they see engineering.
HMGMA Chief Administrative Officer Brent Stubbs shared his gratitude for the partnership with ECCA.
“HMGMA is thrilled to sponsor the EV lab at Effingham College and Career Academy. ECCA is teaching young students about electric vehicles and giving them an opportunity to get hands-on experience, so when we learned about their need, we jumped at the opportunity to help. We are proud to be a long-term partner in educating future generations of EV and automobile enthusiasts. We hope one day some of them will become Meta Pros at HMGMA,” Stubbs said.
As for the car itself, Parker said it will soon get finishing touches — a light and dash cover — before being used to promote the program. Another frame, bright red and untouched, waits for the next group of students to take on.
“At the end of the day we want to set these kids up to be successful adults so that they can be independent when they get out in the real world,” Parker said.