Ga. jobless rate drops to 10.4% but long-term unemployment rises
Georgia’s unemployment rate declined slightly to 10.4 percent in April, but long-term unemployment is becoming a bigger problem, the state Labor Department reported today.
While the unemployment rate declined 0.1 percent from March, the number of unemployed Georgians who have been out of work at least 27 weeks rose to 215,100 in April. That was a 5.1 percent increase from March and a 152 percent surge from April 2009, the Labor Department said.
The long-term unemployed now account for 43 percent of the 489,010 jobless workers in Georgia, according to the Labor Department.
“Although our job market is slowly improving, the continuing increase in the number of long-term unemployed Georgians is troubling,” said state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. “The specter of structural unemployment is beginning to cast a long shadow across the American workplace.”
April’s report represents the 31st consecutive month that Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, currently at 9.9 percent.
On the positive side, Georgia’s job market showed a modest improvement for the third consecutive month, the Labor Department said. The number of payroll jobs in April increased 0.7 percent to 3.82 million. But the number of jobs remains 2.3 percent below April 2009
This April, 60,661 laid-off workers filed initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits. That was a decline of 12.4 percent from March.
Most of the first time claims were filed in trade, manufacturing, construction, and administrative and support services, the Labor Department said.
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62 comments Add your comment
Survivor
May 20th, 2010
11:23 am
Lynn-
Run, DON’T walk to your nearest United Way office and get help. They have mental health services available with sliding scale cost based on your income. They saved my life when I literally did not have a rope left to tie a knot with. DO it NOW!
TnGelding
May 20th, 2010
11:35 am
Get a job you bums.
David C
May 20th, 2010
11:37 am
Wow…they didn’t use the Obamanation code word “unexpected”. I guess Obama’s failures now are expected?
Survivor
May 20th, 2010
11:37 am
Gelding–
Take a flying leap into the next century, why don’t you?
Your comments are neither helpful or warranted.
RP
May 20th, 2010
11:37 am
I was part of the Cobb County RIF of teachers due to a lack of seniority in the system. I have a wife and two children, including a daughter with special needs. With teachers and school staff members being laid off all across the state, I would expect the unemployment numbers for May to go up. It is a very sad situation.
TnGelding
May 20th, 2010
11:37 am
My job is to sit on the computer and look at this blog. I don’t respect people who don’t work. My life partner works for us. I work in the home.
Unemployed people need to get a grip.
Been there, done that....still doing it
May 20th, 2010
11:40 am
Lynn @ 8:36…., I am in a similar situation and it is tough sometimes with no end in sight, but you have to hold on. I use my kids as my motivation for NOT giving up! I am a single dad, with a daughter so I never thought I’d be doing this alone, but BECAUSE of her…I can’t give up. Your kids need you now more than ever. Hnag in there, look at those little faces and get up every morning and start all over again…NO MATTER WHAT. You can do it cause I can. This won’t kill us/ we start every day over believing that we shall overcome. Blessings and better luck to you!
Laidofftoo
May 20th, 2010
12:15 pm
I hope someone who can take action is monitoring this as far as the comments made by Lynn.
lou
May 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
Mike’s wifey: I totally understand what you are saying and I agree you. There are a lot of companies that contine to layoff. I really do know what I am talking about, just trust me. If you could gather 100 folks around you recently leaving a job and just have them answer what the reason is you are no longer working, you would see what I mean. But yes I agree with you, in your situation what you are experiencing is absolutely correct, but I am looking at a workforce of hundreds of thousands of working people.
The Economy
May 20th, 2010
12:20 pm
It will get worse, much worse. Remeber people, carma comes around to all. Lynn, get help, I will saya prayer.
Henry Unger
May 20th, 2010
1:06 pm
Lynn: We understand this is a challenging time. We’d like to help you if we can. Is there a way to reach you? Please e-mail me with your contact information at hunger@ajc.com
GG
May 20th, 2010
1:11 pm
@ Lynn,
2010 will be the year that things will change for the best for you and your children.