ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that it has paid out more than $11 billion in state and federal unemployment benefits since the middle of March — when the global pandemic shut down businesses and left millions of people without jobs.
They also announced claims were down 37,329 from the week prior for a total of 84,984 for the week ending July 25.
This comes the same day it was announced that the U.S. economy shrank 33% in the April-June quarter — the worst quarterly plunge ever.
“As additional claims are being filed, we have been able to maintain an impressive ratio of eligible claims filed to payouts,” said Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “Record breaking payout rates represent a new standard for this department as we strive to better serve Georgians.”
While the total claims decreased here in Georgia, they increased slightly nationally. The number of initial unemployment claims filed throughout the U.S. for the week ending July 25 was 1,434,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level of 1,422,000.
In Georgia, the sectors with the most regular UI initial claims processed included Accommodation and Food Services with 787,469, Health Care and Social Assistance with 390,018, Retail Trade with 359,438, Administrative and Support Services with 275,554, and Manufacturing with 254,685 claims from the week ending March 21 to July 25.
Information on filing an unemployment claim, details on how employers can file partial claims, and resources for other reemployment assistance can be found on the agency’s webpage.