First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Gainesville and the rest of Georgia were up in October compared to a month earlier, according to state Labor Commission Mark Butler.
Butler says applications increased from September to October in seven of the state's 14 metropolitan areas.
Statewide, there was an increase of 28.7 percent. In metro Gainesville, the increase was 17.1 percent.
The year-to-year figures, however, show Gainesville claims down by 4.4 percent, compared to last October, while statewide they were down 11.4 percent.
Click here for claims data on each metropolitan area and county in Georgia.