Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release
Georgia Department of
Labor
Suite 642 148 International Boulevard N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1751 (404)656-3032

April 12, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GEORGIA'S INITIAL UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS JUMP 72 PERCENT
ATLANTA -- State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said today that the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance filed in Georgia jumped by 72 percent in March when compared with the same period a year ago.
In March, 41,771 Georgians filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits, up from 24,272 in March of last year. In January and February, initial claims rose by 65 percent over the same months in 2000.
"Initial claims are a good barometer of how the economy is doing," Thurmond said, "because they measure the number of people losing jobs and filing claims for the first time. More and more companies are announcing disappointing earnings reports and layoffs. And these new layoffs, which are occurring mostly in the trade and business service sectors, indicate that the economy is continuing to slow down."
Initial claims were up over the year in six of the state's seven metropolitan areas. Only Macon saw a decline in initial claims, dropping by 1,338, or 64 percent, to 757. The increases in initial claims for the other metro areas from March of 2000 to March of 2001 are as follows:
-- Albany, up 67, or 23 percent, from 295 to 362.
-- Athens, up 231, or 123 percent, from 188 to 419.
-- Atlanta, up 3,843, or 67 percent, from 5,722 to 9,565.
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Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release
-- Augusta, up 237, or 38 percent, from 623 to 860.
-- Columbus, up 48, or 11 percent, from 450 to 498.
-- Savannah, up 35, or 8.2 percent, from 426 to 461.
"Many employers have available jobs listed with the department, and our staff is actively engaged in matching job seekers with those jobs throughout the state," Thurmond continued. "Some of our laid-off workers are turning adversity into opportunity by using the lull in the economy to retool their skills to make them more employable. Help for these individuals is also available statewide through DOL's career center network."
( M O R E )
INITIAL CLAIMS -- LAST ADD
Among the services provided to the laid off workers through the department's 53 career centers are:
-- Claimant assistance to people who are drawing unemployment insurance benefits, including reemployment workshops and resume preparation, to help them get back into the job market.
-- Vocational and financial counseling to deal with the impact of losing a job.
-- Automated cross-matching of job openings with the skills of the laid-off worker.
-- Upgrading existing skills or acquiring new skills through job training or classroom training.
-- G1 One-stop Georgia Career Network, an on-line information resource that can be accessed at a career center or via the Internet at www.dol.state.ga.us
NEWS MEDIA NEEDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SHOULD CALL THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AT (404) 656-3032.

E-mail: communications@dol.state.ga.us.

FY-01-514

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Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release
An Equal Opportunity Employer
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