Following the announcement that Georgia will no longer accept federal unemployment benefit supplements, the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 percent, its 12th straight decline.
Reports reveal that unemployment claims that are filed by citizens who reside in Georgia in April fell to a record low since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Claims fell to 10% of what they were in April of last year when the coronavirus sent more than 113,000 people applying for benefits.
Additionally, the majority of the initial claims, which were filed by the residents who hadn't filed for benefits during the previous 12 months were down to 12.4% from the months of March to April.
Moreover, the first-time unemployment claims are down 90% during the month of April. As the pandemic becomes more of a memory, state leaders believe that the unemployment rates will continue to fall.
Labor Commissioner Mark Butler stated in a press release that his department has already exclusively distributed over $22 billion in emergency unemployment benefits since the dawn of the coronavirus pandemic which was at record high levels due to executive shutdowns at the time. The numbers in April were the first signs that the state's economy would soon recover.
Payrolls in Georgia are still about 200,000 jobs short of pre-pandemic levels.
About 117,000 people are still collecting regular state unemployment in Georgia, and 125,000 people are collecting special federal unemployment assistance available to people who are self-employed, independent contractors, gig workers, or employees of churches and nonprofits.
Governor Kemp announced on May 13 that Georgia will be opting out of Federal unemployment assistance, including the $300 federal unemployment benefits increase, which will end on June 26, 2021.
Governor Kemp said in an announcement that opting out of the Federal UI benefits will incentivize people to return to work, saying that too many people choosing unemployment over their wages is “hurting our productivity not only in Georgia but around the country.”
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