News release from the Georgia Department of Labor
ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today 95,264 laid-off workers filed initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits in January, a decrease of 5,632, or 5.6 percent, from 100,896 in December.
Also, there was a decline of 24,875, or 20.7 percent, from 120,139 claims filed in January 2009.
"Typically, initial claims rise in January, due to layoffs following increased hiring of temporary workers for the holiday shopping season," said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. "However, this past November and December, retailers didn't hire as many seasonal workers as they usually do, resulting in fewer January layoffs."
Most of the first-time claims filed were in manufacturing, trade, construction, and administrative and support services.
The average length of time jobless Georgia workers drew UI benefits in January increased to 15.8 weeks, the longest duration on record. The duration in January 2009 was 11.5 weeks.
The number of jobless workers receiving regular state unemployment benefits decreased 34,292, or 18.7 percent, from 183,829 in January 2009 to 149,537 in January 2010.
Another 198,000 received federal Extended Unemployment Compensation.
Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.
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