GA Labor Commissioner Says Layoffs Slowing

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia’s labor commissioner says 69,869 laid-off workers filed first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits in August.

Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says the pace of new layoffs is decelerating. But Thurmond notes that the number of new claims represents an increase of 18.2 percent from August of 2008, and he says a rising number of laid-off workers are remaining unemployed longer

Thurmond says the last time the 12-month increase in initial claims was this low was January of 2008, when an increase of 7.2 percent was recorded.

Most of the initial claims were filed by laid-off workers in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction, and administrative and support services.