Georgia unemployment claims dropping

ATLANTA - There is some good news coming from the unemployment picture.  According to the labor commissioner, unemployment claims are down from last week by 323,000. That’s great. But unemployment is still a huge issue across the state. Let’s take a look at the numbers. 

There is According to the labor commissioner, unemployment claims are down from last week by 323,000.some good news coming from the unemployment picture.   That’s great. But unemployment is still a huge issue across the state. Let’s take a look at the numbers. 

Nationally, it’s around 25 percent. Unemployment in Georgia is at an all-time high but not that high. Atlanta’s unemployment rate is 14 percent. But Whitfield and Murray counties sit above 20 percent. Clay County is at 18.1 percent, and Chattooga at 17.1 percent. The numbers descend from here. But you get the idea. 

In my weekly conversation with Commissioner Mark Butler, he had three things to pass along. 

Firstly, a reminder that we don’t have high unemployment because there are no jobs, he said. The virus is stopping us from getting to them. So, they’re hoping when it restarts it’s not as dire as it seems. But we don’t know yet. As soon as we get the go-ahead to restart the economy, we will know what shape we are in. 

Secondly, The department has instituted more ways to catch fraudulent claims. This slows the pace of payments, but it’s necessary.

Thirdly, the website Employ Georgia has more than 100,000 job openings. The pandemic has closed many jobs, but it has also created some new ones. 

Commissioner Butler hopes the decline in claims is the new normal and fully expects that to be the case. Also, tutorials are coming out soon that will walk you through some of the more challenging aspects of filing.