Strategic Plan 2022

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Rabun County’s Labor Participation Rate Challenge

The labor participation rate (LPR) is defined as the labor force divided by the total working-age population. The current LPR is 63.8 percent in the U.S., 63.0 percent in Georgia, and 45.2 percent in Rabun County. Among prime working ages (25-54), it is 82.0 percent in the U.S., 80.9 percent in Georgia, and 70.2 percent in Rabun County. The data indicate Rabun County’s rate is far behind both the U.S. and Georgia averages. 

Contributing factors may include parents caring for family members, drug dependency, or lack of workforce training. Yet the problem is not unique to Rabun County; other communities have recognized and addressed this problem in a number of ways that include many targeted options that Rabun County may find effective. These include: 

  • Provide childcare in the community. Industry leaders cited the lack of childcare as a primary cause of manufacturing labor shortages in Rabun County.
  • The poverty rate is 2.5 percent higher in Rabun County than in the State of Georgia. This can be addressed by higher-paying jobs and workforce training programs. When interviewed, The North Georgia Technical College President indicated they will participate actively to provide workforce training for Rabun residents. Local high schools can also regularly ensure that their technical programs align with the needs of the business industry.
  • Educational attainment is lower in the County, not because high school graduates are not attending college; instead, they are not returning to Rabun County to work for lack of opportunity to secure local, higher-paying jobs. Hence, the strategy outlined in the Target Industry Section establishes a strategy to recruit higher-paying jobs. 

These strategies will address the labor participation rate; however, this is a long-term approach that may require several years to increase the LPR and, once begun, should be continued indefinitely. These programs are proven strategies that complement long-term community economic development vitality.