State Unemployment Nearly Steady

State labor officials report a 9.3 percent unemployment rate for April, almost unchanged from the previous two months. State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says the numbers suggest to him Georgia's labor market "may be beginning to stabilize."

Meanwhile, in northwest Georgia, a carpet dye company is set to add 300 jobs to the region. Bently Dye made expansion plans in the Calhoun area late last year with the purchase of 42 acres for a new plant to make polyester and carpet yarn. Currently, the company employs 80 people.

Georgia Hits Jobless Record

Georgia has hit another record-high in the number of residents out-of-work. New numbers in from the state’s Labor Department show the unemployment rate rose from 8.5 percent in January, to 9.3 percent in February. More than 445,000 Georgians are currently without work--a rise of nearly 70 percent over a year’s time.

Job losses again came across-the-board in many areas, like construction, manufacturing and trade. However, there are some bright spots to report. Jobs have been added in educational and health services, state and local education, and in the federal government sector.

Bigger Unemployment Checks In The Mail

Beefed-up unemployment checks should begin arriving soon in the mailboxes of qualified Georgians who are out-of-work. The state Labor Department says weekly checks with an additional $25 are on the way to more than 180,000 jobless in the state with valid registration. The extra money is a result of federal stimulus money that Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond and Governor Sonny Perdue recently accepted.