Ga. UI claims down 22.8 percent from a year ago

ATLANTA - The number of first-time claims for unemployment insurance in Georgia was down 22.8 percent last month compared to September a year ago, with Gainesville and five other cities scoring better than that.


The state Labor Department says claims in Gainesville were down 24.6 percent from September 2011, behind Albany, Dalton, Hinesville, Macon and Columbus. In raw numbers, there were 740 claims filed last month in Gainesville, compared to 981 a year ago.


Athens recorded a 18.6 percent decline and Atlanta, 20.8 percent.

Only Brunswick, among the state's metropolitan areas, showed an increase, 8.4 percent.