Georgia Department of Labor Archives

Georgia Sets Record-Low Unemployment Rate

October 23, 2021October 22, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) officials announced this week that Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 3.2 percent in September. GDOL officials said in an emailed press release that this is an all-time low for Georgia, dipping below the rate of 3.3 percent in January 2020. The number of employed people rose above 5 million for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, while the number of unemployed was reported at 161,786, the lowest level since June 2001.

COVID-19 Prompted Georgia Department of Labor to Waste $1 Million of Taxpayer Money, New Report Says

October 13, 2021October 12, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia taxpayers spent more than $1.1 million so that state Department of Labor (DOL) employees could eat meals — free of charge to them — during a 15-month period. This, according to a new report from the Office of the State Inspector General (OIG).

Georgia General Assembly Democrats Say New State Program Could Make Them Liable for Criminal Activity

October 2, 2021October 1, 2021 Chris Butler

Five Democrats in the Georgia General Assembly said that the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has created a program that could put them and other state legislators in legal jeopardy. GDOL spokeswoman Kersha Cartwright said Friday that this Legislative Portal Access pilot program gives legislators and members of their respective staffs access to certain unemployment information. Legislators may use this information to act on behalf of their constituents. But each constituent must grant his or her consent first, Cartwright said.

Locales Across Georgia See Good Employment News; Big-Government and Union-Friendly States Less Well-Off

September 25, 2021September 24, 2021 Bradley Vasoli

Georgia has a lower percentage of unemployed residents now than it did immediately before COVID-19 arrived, with some locales, like Warner Robins, experiencing their lowest jobless rates ever.

In Sept. 2020, around six months after the pandemic hit, the small city just south of Macon had a 5.3-percent jobless rate. Two months ago, Warner Robins’s rate fell to 2.9 percent, the city never before having seen such a small fraction of its residents out of work.

Georgia to Now Require Proof of Employment for Pandemic Assistance Claims

July 31, 2021July 31, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) officials have announced they will require people who receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits on or after December 27 of last year to provide proof of employment or self-employment. Those people must also show a valid officer to begin employment and proof of wages by August 14.

Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Nears Pre-Pandemic Levels

July 20, 2021July 19, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia’s unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia Department of Labor officials said this week.

The state’s unemployment rate in June was 4%; three times lower than what it was at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020. Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.1% in February 2020.

Georgia Unemployment Rate Drops, but Mom-and-Pops Still in Jeopardy

June 20, 2021June 20, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia officials announced Friday that the state’s unemployment rate had dropped for the 13th straight month from 4.3 percent in April to 4.1 percent for the month of May. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, however, said more pressing matters remain.

Georgia’s Pre-COVID 19 Unemployment Insurance Requirements Reinstated

June 15, 2021June 14, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) officials have announced they will reinstate the unemployment insurance requirements they had in place before COVID-19. This, according to a press release that GDOL officials published late last week.

Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Decreases Again

May 23, 2021May 22, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) officials announce this week that the state’s unemployment rate dropped another 0.2 percentage points to reach 4.3 percent in April. Last month, Georgia reported the lowest unemployment rate among the 10 most-populated states.

Exactly 99 Percent of Claimants Have Received Georgia’s COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Benefits, Jobs Now Available

May 2, 2021 Chris Butler

Officials with the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) reported this week that exactly 99.4 percent of all eligible claimants with a benefit year beginning in March 2020 until the present day who have requested a payment have received one.

Exactly 99 Percent of Claimants Have Received Georgia’s COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Benefits, Jobs Now Available

May 2, 2021May 1, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Department of Labor Refutes Claim It Jeopardized State’s Financial Rating

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia Department of Labor officials said claims the agency caused a delay that could harm the state’s financial rating are inaccurate.

Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, said the state could be at risk of losing its AAA rating if the state auditor doesn’t receive additional documents from the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) to complete the state’s end-of-year comprehensive financial report.

Georgians Demand Answers from Department of Labor on Missed Payments

January 29, 2021January 28, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Georgians are circulating petitions demanding that the state government, particularly the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) begins responding to their requests for information.

“This petition was started and organized by residents all throughout the State of Georgia that have filed claims with the Georgia Department of Labor,” says a Change.org petition started by Felicia Primus. “Many of Georgia Residents [sic] haven’t received any updates on claims or they’re missing payments from the Department of Labor. GDOL has not provided better Self-service [sic] options for its website or phone support to help with the increasing demand of unemployment claims, during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Unemployed Workers Sue Georgia Department of Labor over Unprocessed Jobless Claims

January 11, 2021January 10, 2021 The Center Square

Six unemployed Georgians are suing the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) for its failure to process their unemployment claims.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Georgia, Lisa English was a contracted bookkeeper for a retail company in Fulton County. She was laid off for eight weeks because of the public health shutdowns and applied for unemployment benefits.