Unemployment centers expand hours

The Department of Labor is responding to a budget crisis and rising unemployment by shifting to a four-day work week of 10-hour days. Staff will rotate shifts to cover a five-day week and the new schedule actually means expanded customer service at centers. Centers will be open will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with some centers opening 30 minutes earlier or staying open 30 minutes later, based on volume. Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says an increasing number of jobless people are seeking services and it has become harder to serve them during a standard 40-hour work week.

Survey: Atlantans most stressed in nation

Metro Atlantans are the most stressed-out people in the nation, according to the American Psychological Association. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the APA found 36% of people who live in and around Atlanta ranked their stress 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale. Nationally, only 30% ranked their stress that high. Most metro Atlantans cite money as the leading cause of stress, with work, the economy, and housing following in that order.