For the past 12 years, Michael Thurmond has headed the state agency responsible for helping unemployed Georgians get jobless benefits and help in finding new work.
On Monday, the 58-year-old Democrat will need to find a new job himself. After running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Thurmond’s job as head of the state’s employment office will end.
When he was first elected as Georgia’s labor commissioner in 1998, Georgia’s jobless rate was so low that “employers were desperately calling out for new workers,” Thurmond recalled. As he leaves office, Georgia’s unemployment is at double-digit levels and likely to remain high for years to come.
“It’s been a full cycle in my 12-year tenure,” Thurmond said. “Now we have a surplus of workers and not enough jobs.”
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