The number of unemployment insurance claims filed in Georgia last year was the lowest in 20 years.
That's according to data released this week by state Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.
Butler adds for the month of December, applications were down 19.8 percent compared to a year ago.
For the month, claims in Gainesville fell by 22.9 percent; 6.3 percent in Athens; and, 20.6 percent in Atlanta. In fact, only Augusta-Richmond County (5.5 percent) and Valdosta (0.9 percent), among all 14 metropolitan areas in Georgia, showed an increase in claims last month compared to December 2016.
Butler says about half of the new claims statewide last month were in manufacturing.
Click here for a breakdown of the number of applications filed in each county in Georgia.
