Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes announced on Mar. 19 a new strategic plan aimed at transforming how the Georgia Department of Labor serves workers and businesses across the state.
The initiative is significant as it addresses longstanding challenges in delivering unemployment benefits and connecting job seekers with employers, issues that have affected many Georgians. Holmes said her approach was shaped by conversations with parents, employers, and community leaders who described delays in receiving benefits and difficulties finding skilled workers.
Holmes outlined that in Fall 2026, the department will launch what she called “the largest unemployment insurance modernization in Georgia’s history.” The current platform, built in the 1980s, will be replaced with a secure, cloud-based system designed to improve user experience, reduce fraud, and speed up claims processing. “With this modernization, claims will process faster, fraud prevention will be stronger, and workers and employers will have a more reliable, responsive system,” Holmes said.
Beyond technology upgrades, Holmes emphasized efforts to make communications clearer and processes easier for users. She said the department is rewriting all communications in plain language and removing unnecessary red tape so Georgians can access help more easily. Partnerships are also central to the plan: “We’re expanding our job matching infrastructure and strengthening relationships with employers, educators, workforce boards, and community leaders to build a talent pipeline that meets the needs of the moment — connecting Georgians to mortgage paying jobs and businesses to the skilled workers they need,” she said.
Holmes highlighted that these changes are necessary as automation and advanced manufacturing reshape Georgia’s economy. “A modern labor system is no longer a convenience; it is a competitive advantage. If we want Georgia to remain the No. 1 state for business, we must build systems that match that ambition,” she said.
Concluding her statement, Holmes expressed optimism about Georgia’s future: “We are building an agency that fights forward — with modern systems, clearer communication, stronger partnerships, and a renewed commitment to public service… With workers and businesses leading the way, Georgia’s best days are ahead.”
