JOBS ON THE BALLOT

Nine straight months of job losses have cost Americans 760,000 jobs, including thousands in metro Atlanta. Georgia’s job market has shrunk dramatically. In September, the state was No. 2 nationally in job losses, and its 6.5 percent unemployment rate overshadows the national average. Some 317,500 Georgians are looking for work at a time when jobs are going unfilled as companies rein in hiring plans.

On Tuesday, voters go to the polls to decide the next president —- Sen. John McCain or Sen. Barack Obama.

On Page C8, take a look at the industries that are likely to benefit under each candidate’s job creation plan, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The Chicago-area outplacement firm has been tracking workplace trends and the job market for about 25 years. In addition to analyzing each candidate’s platform and policies, Challenger “talked to a lot of businesses” to assess where they stand. The company is not aligned with any political party.

Job opportunities vary by candidate

POTENTIAL WINNERS UNDER JOHN McCAIN

> AEROSPACE/DEFENSE

Position: Supports the development and deployment of missile defenses, increasing the size of the military and upgrading military technologies. To do this, the government will need more missile defense systems, weaponry and safety equipment.

Potential jobs nationally: Thousands of manufacturing and engineering jobs, as well as a big recruitment boost for the armed forces.

Metro Atlanta’s manufacturing and engineering sector: 166,700 jobs, down 4.7 percent from September a year ago.

> AUTOMOTIVE

Position: Incentives for automakers to develop fuel-efficient and hybrid technologies. Thousands of dollars in tax incentives for fuel-efficient cars, as well as a proposed $300 million for plug-in hybrid and full-electric batteries.

Potential jobs: Substantial opportunities for auto engineers and auto companies.

Metro Atlanta’s transportation-equipment jobs: 14,500, down 8.2 percent from September a year ago.

> CONSTRUCTION

Position: Build environmentally friendly buildings for commercial and residential use.

Potential jobs: Thousands, including a portion of the 700,000 jobs needed to build the nuclear plants.

Metro Atlanta’s construction jobs: 128,100, down 8 percent.

> HEALTH INSURANCE

Position: Reform existing tax code to give workers choices to buy insurance outside of what their employers offer. This will likely mean more competition in the insurance industry.

Potential jobs: At least hundreds of jobs for salespeople, claims adjusters, underwriters, examiners, investigators, management analysts and administrators.

Metro Atlanta’s finance and insurance jobs: 111,500, down 3.1 percent.

> NUCLEAR SCIENCE/ENGINEERING

Position: Build 45 nuclear power plants by 2030, providing an alternative source of cheap electricity. The price tag: $315 billion.

Potential jobs: About 700,000, ranging from entry-level workers, plant operators, power distributors and dispatchers to monitor the flow of electricity.

Metro Atlanta’s architectural, engineering and related-services jobs: 30,400, down 2.6 percent.

> OIL/GAS

Position: Explore domestic oil and natural gas supplies in order to end dependence on foreign oil.

Potential jobs: Thousands ranging from petroleum technicians who collect information on oil sites to equipment makers to engineers and laborers.

Metro Atlanta’s natural resources jobs: 2,400, down 4 percent.

POTENTIAL WINNERS UNDER BARACK OBAMA

> ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Position: Invest $150 billion over the next decade in renewable energy. This includes developing and perfecting biofuel technology, creating and commercializing plug-in hybrid and electric cars, investing in low-emission coal plants, transitioning to a digital electricity grid and advancing solar and wind initiatives.

Potential jobs nationally: Thousands of engineers, environmental scientists and equipment manufacturers and operators in the automotive, transportation, chemical and technology fields.

Metro Atlanta’s professional, scientific and technical jobs: 168,400, down 0.4 percent from September a year ago.

> CIVIL ENGINEERING

Position: Money for infrastructure projects will also go toward planning and implementing designs for cities and towns.

Potential jobs: Lots of civil engineers will be needed.

Metro Atlanta’s architectural, engineering and related-services jobs: 30,400, down 2.6 percent from September a year ago.

> CONSTRUCTION

Position: Pledges $60 billion over the next 10 years to build and maintain buildings, bridges and other national infrastructure.

Potential jobs: Could be as high as 2 million direct and indirect jobs a year.

Metro Atlanta’s construction jobs: 128,100, down 8 percent.

> EDUCATION/TEACHERS

Position: Provide higher pay for teachers and intervention strategies that include teaching teams, parent programs and personal academic plans to help middle school students.

Potential jobs: Thousands of opportunities for teachers in early childhood education, as well as academic counselors and mentors.

Metro Atlanta’s full-time and part-time teachers: More than 62,000.

> MANUFACTURING

Position: Give tax breaks to companies that produce American-made products. This would entice U.S. companies to move overseas production back home.

Potential Jobs: Thousands would be created.

Metro Atlanta’s manufacturing jobs: 166,700, down 4.7 percent.

> TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Position: Provide broadband networks to every community in the country. This will mean reworking the nation’s wireless spectrum and creating new applications and next-generation facilities. The plan calls for tax and loan incentives.

Potential Jobs: Thousands of telecommunications and technology workers.

Metro Atlanta’s telecommunications jobs: 37,400, down 0.5 percent.

Sources: Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Georgia and U.S. Labor departments; Georgia Department of Education; candidates’ proposals from their respective Web sites.

THE LABOR MARKET

U.S. job cuts announced this year as of September: 760,000-plus.

U.S. job cuts announced in all of 2007: 768,264.

JOB SWINGS THIS YEAR

METRO ATLANTA*

Month-to-month

January down 39,700

February up 7,400

March up 8,700

April up 1,900

May up 6,200

June down 11,200

July down 28,000

August up 10,600

September down 17,200

Job losses to date: 61,300

* Seasonally unadjusted data

U.S.

Month-to-month

January down 76,000

February down 83,000

March down 88,000

April down 67,000

May down 47,000

June down 100,000

July down 67,000

August down 73,000

September down 159,000

Job losses to date: 760,000

Source: Georgia and U.S. labor departments