The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that 32,139 laid-off workers filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in September, down 6.4 percent from August. The decrease in claims came mostly in trade and services.
Labor commissioner Michael Thurmond said while initial claims were down from August to September, they were up 4.7 percent from September of 2006 when 30,685 were filed.
The 14 metro areas of the state and the changes in their initial claims from August to September of 2007 are as follows:
- Albany, up 36, or six percent, from 600 to 636.
- Athens, up 38, or 7.2 percent, from 528 to 566.
- Atlanta, down 2,668, or 16.3 percent, from 16,407 to 13,739.
- Augusta, down 516, or 28.9 percent, from 1,784 to 1,268.
- Brunswick, down 38, or 11.4 percent, from 333 to 295.
- Columbus, down 97, or 11.2 percent, from 869 to 772.
- Dalton, up 690, or 68.3 percent, from 1,010 to 1,700.
- Gainesville, down 103, or 21.9 percent, from 471 to 368.
- Hinesville, down 18, or 10.7 percent, from 169 to 151.
- Macon, down 68, or 7.6 percent, from 895 to 827.
- Rome, down 56, or 10.7 percent, from 522 to 466.
- Savannah, up six, or seven-tenths of one percent, from 900 to 906.
- Valdosta, down one, or two-tenths of one percent, from 547 to 546.
- Warner Robins, down 22, or 7.1 percent, from 308 to 286.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/10/85117