ATLANTA - First-time claims for unemployment insurance (UI) in Georgia were down 21.2 percent in July, compared to a year ago.<br />
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State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Warner Robins (down 41.1 percent) led the state for the second month in a row. Rounding out the top three were Gainesville (down 36.6 percent) and Dalton (down 28.7 percent). <br />
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In Athens, claims were down 26.2 percent.<br />
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Among the state's 14 metropolitan areas, the three smallest decreases were in Atlanta (18.7 percent), Macon (16.9 percent) and Brunswick (11.2 percent). Claims were down in July in all of the metro areas in Georgia.<br />
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Butler added approximately one-third of the new claims were from temporary layoffs. Of the overall increase, 3,323 claims were in manufacturing. There were 11,448 fewer claims filed last month than the 54,106 in July 2013. Most of the decline over the year came in manufacturing, wholesale trade, administrative and support services, and construction. <br />
