Fayette County Unemployment Insurance Claims Jump 229%

According to new numbers released by the Georgia Department of Labor (DOL), Workforce Information & Analysis, unemployment insurance claims have jumped a whopping 229% since March of 2008.

While the percentage sounds high, the numbers aren't quite as scary. Claims in March of 2008 totaled 144. Claims in March 2009 totaled 475. If you are one of the individuals experiencing a loss of income, percentages and totals are meaningless. It's devastating to most to lose a job.

Unemployment insurance claim numbers include initial unemployment claims only; they do not include people who have run out of unemployment benefits without finding employment, neither do they include claims by people who had previously claimed unemployment.

Preliminary unemployment rates for February 2008 show an increase from 4.3% in 2008 to 7.9% in 2009. Unemployment numbers indicate statistics for the civilian labor force over the age of 16 living in the county. The unemployment numbers reflect those who are "actively seeking jobs".

Currently, according to the DOL, 4,152 are unemployed in Fayette. In February of last year the 2,287 were listed. The unemployment rate in January of this year was 6.9%.

Source: Interview with Department of Labor; http://www.dol.state.ga.us/pdf/pr/initialuiclaims.pdf and http://www.dol.state.ga.us/pdf/pr/laborforce.pdf