The economy in the West Georgia region is like a healthy tortoise, rather than an unhealthy hare. That’s how chair of the Department of Economics at UWG, Dr. William Smith put it during the 22nd annual economic forecast breakfast held last week.
Smith said unemployment rates in the West Georgia region at near all-time low of 3.5%. ThatÂ’s down from 4.6%, which is what Smith reported at last yearÂ’s breakfast.
One area of concern Smith noted was the historically low unemployment rate and historically high number of jobs being created, which could mean businesses are being required to hire employees who are less than fully qualified.
“As for the housing market, price growth has slowed down but hasn’t plateaued yet,” said Smith. Local economists have seen an increase in the number of houses being built in the region, with most growth in the number of permits issued happening in Carroll County.
