ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) says first-time claims for unemployment insurance (UI) in Georgia were up 0.3 percent last month compared to May 2012. But, they were down in Gainesville by by 6.4 percent.
Statewide, there were 119 more claims submitted compared to a year ago. In Gainesville, the decrease in raw numbers was 53.
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Brunswick led the state in the percentage of claims that decreased, 23.4 percent; the decrease in metro Atlanta was 1.6 percent and in Athens, it was 16.4 percent.
In addition to Gainesville, Atlanta, Brunswick and Athens, four other metropolitan areas in Georgia showed a decrease in applications for unemployment insurance: Hinesville, Columbus, Valdosta and Dalton.
Six other areas, led by Albany, Savannah, and Rome, recorded increases in applications last month.