Peach Tree Times

As states emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, recoveries are occurring at different rates across the country and there often are subtle differences to the comeback from region to region. 

Despite regional differences, Georgia and Wisconsin appear to be on similar recovery paths, according to a Chicago Tribune report, ranking the states No. 25 and 19 in a list by Credible. The report noted that the recovery will hinge on how well the states keep the spread of COVID-19 in check. 

“As of June 2021, nearly 50% of Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, which has allowed states and businesses to more fully reopen, increasing spending and revenue,” according to the Tribune. 

And a quick look at the unemployment trends in both Georgia and Wisconsin bears that out. According to the Tribune report, Georgia’s unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in April 2021, down from 7.6% over the previous year. The report indicated that unemployment in Wisconsin in April 2021 was slightly lower, at 3.9%, down from 10.2% at the same time last year. Romina Boccia and Adam Michel of the Heritage Foundation wrote that policies enacted in the wake of the pandemic had never been seen before. 

“Intentionally shutting down economic activity deemed non-essential by state governors to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus has had dramatic effects on the livelihoods of millions of Americans,” they wrote in the Heritage Foundation report. “As the public health threat abates, and shutdown orders and stay-at-home measures are lifted, people will return to work and drive the economic recovery, as long as bad policy does not get in their way.”

Georgia and Wisconsin have seen similar rebounds in existing jobs. According to the Tribune report, Georgia had 4.4 million existing jobs in April 2021, an increase of 10.3% year-over-year. The Tribune report noted that Wisconsin had 2.8 million existing jobs as of April 2021, with an identical 10.3% increase from the same time last year. Boccia and Michel noted that a key to continued economic viability will be continued easing of restrictions. 

“The most pressing barriers to economic activity include those that unnecessarily increase costs, restrict access to crucian resources and limit people’s ability to work,” they wrote in the Heritage report. 

Moreover, the Tribune report indicated that Georgia and Wisconsin have had similar recoveries in their real GDP. In Georgia, real GDP in the fourth quarter of 2020 was $637.2 billion, a 9.7% increase from the second quarter of that year. Wisconsin’s real GDP was $348.2 billion during the same period, a 10.9% increase from the second quarter of 2020, according to the Tribune report. 

Georgia and Wisconsin had different paths on their roads to recovery. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Georgia’s unemployment high was 12.5% in April 2020. In Wisconsin the agency reported an unemployment rate of 14.8% during the same period. 

According to BLS data, Georgia has a total labor force of 5.1 million workers, with 4.9 million at work and 211,700 unemployed. The BLS data showed that Wisconsin has a total labor force of 3 million workers and 2.9 million have jobs. There are 119,700 who are unemployed, according to the BLS.