ATLANTA — The state Labor Department says the unemployment rate in metro Atlanta rose to 9.6 percent in May, up six-tenths of a point from April.
It is just slightly less than the 9.7 percent unemployment rate statewide in May — the highest rate ever recorded in Georgia.
The department said the highest unemployment rate in the state in May was in Dalton at 12.6 percent. The lowest was Athens at 6.9 percent.
The Labor Department reported that 463,883 unemployed Georgians were looking for work last month, an increase of 62 percent from May of 2008. The department said 157,544, or 34 percent, are receiving state unemployment insurance benefits and 90,000 are receiving federal extended benefits.
AP National News
Metro Atlanta jobless rate reaches 9.6 percent
- AP National News
-
-
Woman charged in intern death speaks publically
The woman charged with driving drunk and causing an accident that killed a governor's intern early Saturday spoke publicly in Atlanta Thursday to express her remorse over the death.
-
Secretary of state race seemingly wide open
With an incumbent hand-picked by the governor facing a strong Republican challenger and Democrats fighting for name recognition in a crowded primary, the secretary of state's race is seemingly wide open.
-
4-day school weeks gaining in popularity across U.S.
During the school year, Mondays in this rural Georgia community are for video games, trips to grandma's house and hanging out at the neighborhood community center.
-
Ga., other states to establish uniform standards for teaching
For the first time, states have joined to establish what students should know by the time they graduate high school.
-
Scarce cash could change landscape in gov's race
The lousy economy and a crowded field of candidates has made it tough for those running for governor in Georgia to raise money heading into the July 20 primary.
-
As spill grows, oil soaks delicate marshes, birds
As officials approached to survey the damage the Gulf oil spill caused in coastal marshes, some brown pelicans couldn't fly away Sunday.
-
BP: Mile-long tube sucking oil away from Gulf well
Oil company engineers on Sunday finally succeeded in keeping some of the oil gushing from a blown well out of the Gulf of Mexico, hooking up a mile-long tube to funnel the crude into a tanker ship after more than three weeks of failures.
-
FBI conducts searches in Times Square probe
The FBI says agents have executed search warrants at several locations in the Northeast in connection with the failed Times Square car bombing.
-
New claims for unemployment insurance inch down
New claims for unemployment benefits dipped for the fourth straight week, a sign the job market is improving at a slow but steady pace.
-
At least 96 dead in Libyan plane crash
A Libyan Afriqiyah Airways plane crashed Wednesday on approach to Tripoli's airport, killing at least 96 people, the transport minister said. A 10-year-old Dutch boy was the only known survivor.
- More AP National News Headlines
-



