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ItemGeorgia's structurally unemployed workers: do state job training programs help?(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-11-17) Moody, Mitchell LawrenceManufacturing employment in Georgia has declined as thousands of jobs have been lost to foreign suppliers and improvements in productivity. Changes in the state s industrial structure have created mismatches between worker capabilities and the skills required to work in a new field. The transition from a manufacturing to a services economy has strained the ability of many in the state s workforce to acquire to the new job skills demanded by employers. In order to regain employment and maintain former wage levels, structurally unemployed workers need new skills to work new jobs. Unemployed workers sometimes turn to workforce development system (WDS) programs to upgrade skills and provide access to better employment. The purpose of WDS job training services is to facilitate the transition from job loss to stable re-employment. Which job training strategies work or do not work and or for which demographic groups was the focus of this research. The fundamental question posed by this research was, "Can job training help alleviate the adverse wage impacts and time spent in prolonged job search resulting from structural unemployment in Georgia, and if so, which programs work better?" Answering this question requires that structurally unemployed workers in Georgia be assessed with respect to industry, demographics, geography, and Georgia Department of Labor training program exposure as explanatory factors for post-training wage and job search time differentials, both direct indicators of program efficacy to workers. Multivariate regression techniques were used to estimate the impacts of GDOL job training services on workers exiting the state's structurally declining industries and reentering new employment. Among the findings of this research were that: job training was often associated with lower worker wages once re-employed and longer times spent in job search; compared to short-term unemployed workers from declining industries, the long-term unemployed experienced significantly larger adverse wage effects and longer job search times; job training services were found to be most beneficial to workers leaving less-skilled industries and less beneficial to unemployed leaving higher-skilled industries such as manufacturing; and informational job training services were determined to be more cost-effective than occupational skills training.
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ItemLocal Economic Development Agencies' Support for Construction and Demolition Recycling(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007-04-06) Patterson, Lynn M.The construction and demolition (C and D) recycling industry creates economic opportunity through business activity; promotes equity through workforce training and partnerships; and helps to conserve natural resources through the reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling of C and D debris. While C and D recycling satisfies traditional local economic development goals, it also addresses broader goals of progressive, and sustainable local economic development. The general planning literature shows an increasing interest in sustainability; however, there have been fewer studies on sustainable local economic development initiatives. This research examines the current state of local economic development agency support for the C and D recycling industry as an economic development strategy. In doing so, the dissertation assembles the array of activities local economic development agencies used to support the industry; identifies distinguishing policy or contextual characteristics of agencies that actively supported the industry from those that did not; and assesses whether the agencies support for C and D recycling fit within the rational planning model. Using data from a national survey of local economic development agencies, the study categorizes the local economic development tools used to support the industry. Results show that a combination of traditional, progressive, and sustainable local economic development tools are adapted and newly created to satisfy the specific needs of this specialized industry. Multiple discriminant analyses identify key characteristics of the agencies that support C and D recycling. These characteristics include previous support for the general recycling industry, the presence and support of environmental enterprise zones and eco-industrial parks, and knowledge of local landfill capacity issues. Overall, the agencies that actively supported C and D recycling engage in activities associated with sustainable local economic development. The descriptive and statistical analyses are combined with the surveys qualitative responses to determine that local economic development agencies do not operate under a strict interpretation of the comprehensive rational planning model in their support of C and D recycling. Instead, local economic development agencies use modified rational and reactive planning strategies in their support of the industry. The study concludes with policy recommendations to increase local economic development agency support for C and D recycling.
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ItemMetropolitan Growth Patterns' Impact on Intra-Regional Spatial Differentiation and Inner-Ring Suburban Decline: Insights for Smart Growth(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-04-20) Lee, SugieThis dissertation investigates the impact of metropolitan growth patterns and policies on both intra-regional spatial differentiation and the decline of inner-ring suburbs by identifying a multi-ring metropolitan structure in four metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Portland, using longitudinal Census data from 1970 to 2000. The findings of this research confirmed that intra-regional spatial differentiation increased over time and showed that the inner-ring suburbs in the four metropolitan areas were increasingly vulnerable to socioeconomic decline regardless of their growth patterns and policies. In contrast, the downtowns and some parts of the inner city showed gradual recovery from the deterioration patterns of the last several decades. The outer-ring suburbs continued to thrive, drawing most of the new population and housing development. This dissertation also explored the association between metropolitan growth patterns and policies and the extent of spatial differentiation and socioeconomic disparity in the subareas. Analyses found that strong decentralization trends are associated with increases in intra-regional spatial differentiation and socioeconomic disparity, while urban containment policies are associated with their reduction. However, despite its strong urban containment policies, the Portland region exhibited a clear pattern of inner-ring suburban decline, which suggests that the inner-ring suburbs require local initiatives directed toward revitalization. In conclusion, this research has shown that excessive development at the urban fringe is associated with the abandonment of the blighted inner city and more importantly, in the decline of the inner-ring suburbs. The inner-ring suburbs, with their existing valuable assets, should be fertile grounds for smart growth strategies. Moreover, the central city and outer-ring suburbs have a vital mission to save and invigorate the inner-ring suburbs, as they represent the primary link and conduit to all the surrounding areas of a metropolitan region. Only by recognizing the interdependence of all the areas and by applying sound, holistic policies can the decision-making entities of the government ensure the survival and future stability of the metropolitan areas.