Initial jobless claims exceed 100,000 in December - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Initial jobless claims exceed 100,000 in December

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News release from the Georgia Department of Labor                                                  

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today 100,896 laid-off workers filed initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits in December, an increase of 28,598, or 39.6 percent, from 72,298 in November.

However, there was a decline of 27,729, or 21.6 percent, from 128,625 claims filed in December 2008, at the depth of the current recession.

Most of the first-time claims were filed in manufacturing, trade, construction, and administrative and support services.

The average length of time jobless Georgia workers drew UI benefits in December increased to 15.3 weeks, the longest duration on record. The duration in December 2008 was 11.6 weeks.

The number of jobless workers receiving regular state unemployment benefits decreased 8,945, or 5.7 percent, from 156,719 in December 2008 to 147,774 in December 2009. Another 184,000 received federal Extended Unemployment Compensation.   

Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.

Georgia UI Initial Claims

Metro Area

# Change

% Change

December
 2008

December
 2009

Brunswick

+254

+28.7%

886

1,140

Hinesville

+54

+16.5%

328

382

Macon

+247

+8.6%

2,858

3,105

Warner Rob.

+78

+8.1%

964

1,042

Savannah

+62

+2.0%

3,057

3,119

Augusta

-152

-3.6%

4,259

4,107

Atlanta

-1,081

-4.2%

42,810

41,009

Athens

-348

-18.7%

1,860

1,512

Rome

-639

-21.3%

3,002

2,363

Columbus

-620

-21.7%

2,862

2,242

Gainesville

-536

-25.1%

2,132

1,596

Valdosta

-452

-25.3%

1,790

1,338

Albany

-646

-29.1%

2,217

1,571

Dalton

-5,038

-51.5%

9,780

4,742

STATEWIDE

-27,729

-21.6%

128,625

100,896