UNION
COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
100 Hunt-Martin Street
(formerly 100 Hospital Street)
P.O. Box 801
Blairsville, Georgia 30514-0801 U.S.A.
Mitch Griggs, Executive Director
Phone (706) 745-4500
Fax (706) 745-4500
email: mitch@ucda.net
LABOR SUPPLY
Union County has a labor supply that is greater than is indicated by its unemployment rate. Based on data from our electric co-op, 50 new families move into Union County per month, or 600 families per year. The area job base is characterized by low average wages.
In the 2000 Census, 31% of Union County's worker labor force commuted out of the County for employment. Adjacent to the Blairsville - Union Chamber of Commerce is a "Park And Ride" parking lot which fills every day with cars of workers car pooling out of Union County to work; some south as far away as Atlanta.
The most recent hiring experiences have been favorable. Applewood Doors & Windows, Inc. opened in September 2006 and have hired 50 employees. Cott Beverage opened a water bottling plant in 2005 and drew 1,000 applicants for 15 initial jobs. Cushman Fruit Co. opened a seasonal call center in 2004 to take phone orders of oranges and other Florida fruit, which varies from 3 full time in early summer to 60 workers in December. The Home Depot opened a new 150 employee store in early 2002 and received 1,300 job applications in a one week program, plus others taken at the Georgia Department of Labor Blairsville office, to bring the total to over 3,000. Bi-Lo Grocery opened in late 2001 with 100 jobs. Corrugated Replacements, Inc opened in 1997 and has grown to a work force of 80 skilled machinists.
Just like many communities, Blairsville have seen several factories close. Owenby Manufacturing Co. ceased its Blairsville production in 2003, terminating 75 employees.. E. J. Footwear in March 2002, closed its plant terminating employment for 80 workers, although employment there had been as high as 300 within the last four years . Elan Natural Water closed its bottling plant employing up to 50 in the spring of 2001, but Cott Beverages opened in January 2005 and now has 40 employees. Big T Monogramming closed a plant and warehouse in June 2002 with 6 jobs.
Levi-Strauss & Co. in 2002 closed two plants which employed a number of Union County workers: Murphy, NC (20 miles north) 400 workers, Blue Ridge (23 miles west) 423 workers. The Levi closing in Murphy increased the unemployment rate for Cherokee County, NC in May 2002 to a high of 11.2%.
In October 2007, according to Georgia Department of labor preliminary estimates, there were 11,604 people in the civilian labor force of Union County. There were 11,167 employed and 437 unemployed with an unemployment rate of 3.8%. This compared with Georgia's unemployment rate of 4.7% for the same month.
| October 2007 | LABOR FORCE | PERSONS EMPLOYED | UNEMPLOYED PERSONS | UNEMPLOYMENT RATE |
| Union County | 11,604 | 11,167 | 437 | 3.8% |
| Towns County | 6,364 | 6,138 | 226 | 3.6% |
| Fannin County | 11,326 | 10,893 | 433 | 3.8% |
| Cherokee Co., NC | ||||
| Clay Co., NC |
The labor force potential for Union County is good. For years it has been necessary for the best qualified, more educated young person to leave Union County to obtain suitable employment. There are hundreds of former residents in nearby cities who would return to Union County for a good job.
Union County manufacturers have found a good response when existing employees were asked to recommend some good people to put in job applications. They have found that in the past they could not adequately process and interview the large number of applicants who respond. Some plants have signs stating that applications will be taken only on certain days of the week, or that applicants should apply only at the Blairsville office of the Georgia Department of Labor.
Major segments of the labor pool, in addition to a large number of currently unemployed workers with industrial experience, include recent high school and vocational school graduates, school drop-outs, and returnees from military service. In addition, potential job seekers include: workers now commuting out of Union County, but wanting comparable employment nearer their home, housewives who would work if suitable nearby jobs were available, and workers who are employed in fast food restaurants, other service jobs, or are otherwise currently under-employed for their skill level.
CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE ESTIMATES
YEARLY ANNUAL AVERAGE, 2006
| LABOR DRAWING AREA | LABOR FORCE | EMPLOYED | NUMBER UNEMPLOYED | UNEMPLOYMENT RATE |
| Union County | 10,684 | 10,287 | 397 | 3.7% |
| Towns County | 5,990 | 5,787 | 203 | 3.4% |
| Fannin County | 10,815 | 10,377 | 438 | 4.0% |
| Cherokee Co., NC | 10,495 | 9,408 | 1,087 | 10.4% |
| Clay Co., NC | 3,646 | 3,462 | 184 | 5.0% |
| Gilmer County | 14,219 | 13,706 | 513 | 3.6% |
| Lumpkin County | 12,820 | 12,299 | 521 | 4.1% |
| White County | 12,500 | 12,033 | 467 | 3.7% |
| GEORGIA - STATEWIDE | 4,741,860 | 4,522,025 | 219,835 | 4.6% |
| NORTH CAROLINA - STATEWIDE |
4,171,462 |
3,890,025 |
281,437 |
6.7% |
BLAIRSVILLE LOCAL LABOR DEPARTMENT OFFICE
The Georgia Department of Labor maintains a State Employment Security Office - Blairsville Career Center - on Rogers Street in Blairsville. Contact person: Mrs. Debbie Parsons, Manager (706) 745-6959. email: debra.parson@dol.state.ga.us Web page: www.dol.state.ga.us
PRIVATE LABOR RECRUITING
Global Employment Solutions, Inc. maintains
a Blairsville office at 227 Plott Street and GA 515. Contact person:
Dennis Wheeler (706) 781-3665. email: dwheeler@gesnetwork.com
and web page:
www.gesnetwork.com
GROWTH IN THE UNION COUNTY LABOR MARKET
Growing along with our rapid population increase has been the growth in the number of Union County residents in the labor market. From the chart below you can see the actual increase of the number of people available for jobs each year in Union County:
| YEAR | UNION COUNTY LABOR FORCE | NUMBER EMPLOYED | NUMBER UNEMPLOYED | UNEMPLOYMENT RATE |
| 2007 | 10,990 | 10,628 | 362 | 3.3% |
| 2006 | 10,265 | 9,910 | 325 | 3.2% |
| 2005 | 9,964 | 9,567 | 397 | 4.0% |
| 2004 | 9,515 | 9,158 | 357 | 3.8% |
| 2003 | 9,027 | 8,697 | 330 | 3.7% |
| 2002 | 8,786 | 8,459 | 327 | 3.7% |
| 2001 | 8,210 | 8,000 | 210 | 2.6% |
| 2000 | 8,007 | 7,739 | 268 | 3.3% |
| 1999 | 7,633 | 7,375 | 258 | 3.4% |
| 1998 | 7,251 | 6,963 | 288 | 4.0% |
| 1997 | 7,131 | 6,721 | 410 | 5.7% |
| 1996 | 6,790 | 6,392 | 398 | 5.9% |
| 1995 | 6,251 | 6,005 | 245 | 3.9% |
| 1994 | 6,201 | 5,941 | 260 | 4.2% |
| 1993 | 6.059 | 5,707 | 352 | 5.8% |
| 1992 | 5,912 | 5,525 | 387 | 6.5% |
| 1991 | 5,465 | 5,231 | 234 | 4.3% |
COMMUTING PATTERNS - 2000 CENSUS, UNION COUNTY, GEORGIA
| Number | Percent | |
| Workers Age 16+ | 7,090 | 100% |
| Worked inside Union County | 4,891 | 69.0% |
| Worked outside - In GA | 1,745 | 24.6% |
| Worked outside of Georgia | 454 | 6.4% |
| Drove alone | 77.6% | |
| Carpooled | 17.1% | |
| Public means | 0.0% | |
| Walked to work | 1.4% | |
| Other means | 0.3% | |
| Work at home | 3.6% | |
| Mean travel time in minutes | 27.3 minutes |
OCCUPATIONS; CLASS OF WORKER - UNION COUNTY, GEORGIA
| Census of 2000 | Number | Per Cent |
| Employed Civilian Age 16< | 7,198 | 100% |
| Management, Professional | 1,611 | 22.4% |
| Service | 1,123 | 15.6% |
| Sales and Office | 1,743 | 24.2% |
| Farming, Fishing, Forestry | 160 | 2.2% |
| Construction, Extraction, Maintenance | 1,222 | 17.0% |
| Production, Transportation, Material moving | 1,339 | 18.6% |
| Private Wage and Salary | 73.5% | |
| Government | 13.8% | |
| Self-employed | 12.0% | |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.72% |
UNION ACTIVITY IN UNION COUNTY, GEORGIA
Blairsville-Union County has 50 manufacturers and none of these companies' employees are represented by a union.
Manufacturing Employees |
Manufacturing Plants |
| Union | 0 | Union | 0 |
| Total | 1028 | Total | 50 |
| Percent Union | 0% | Percent Union | 0% |
HISTORY OF MANUFACTURING UNION ELECTIONS: 1961-2003
UNION COUNTY, GEORGIA
| Town/Firm/Union | Date | Union Won/Lost |
Election Vote |
| none | - | - | - |
FIFTY-YEAR HISTORY OF MANUFACTURING WORK STOPPAGES
UNION COUNTY, GEORGIA
Town/Industry/Union |
Number of Workers Idle | Date Stoppage Began | Date Stoppage Ended |
| none | - | - | - |