First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Gainesville and across much of Georgia were down in May, compared to May 2018; however, there was an increase in claims from last month.
That's according to the latest report from the Georgia Department of Labor.
Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said claims in Gainesville decreased by 3.8 percent in May, compared to a year ago. Statewide, they were down by 8.4 percent. Athens saw a reduction of 30.3 percent and Atlanta, 11.2 percent.
Of the 14 metropolitan areas in Georgia, ten showed decreases and four showed an increase in claims compared to 2018.
First time claims for the Gainesville metro posted an increase compared to April, but Butler said that was the only negative in the May jobs report, which showed increases in number of persons employed and number of jobs created.
Click here for data on all 159 counties in the state.
