Job losses jumping as crisis hits home - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

lkinibim.blogspot.com
First-time unemployment claims soared in Georgia last montbh tonearly 57,000, according to the stats Department of Labor, a 76.3 percent increasew over initial filings in Septemberr of last year. Among the arease hardest hit by the growing joblessness werenortherhn Georgia’s carpet belt, center to an industry that relies on residentiapl construction to keep orders flowing, and metrk Atlanta’s outer suburbs, where the housing boom has turned into a “Housing has been good to Georgi over the last decade,” Georgia Commissioner of Labord Michael Thurmond said. “Now, we’re feeling some of the repercussiona ofthe downturn.
” Thurmonde pointed to some parts of Georgia wherwe the job market remains in relativelyg good shape. Forts Benning and Stewart were amonh the few net winners during the last round of military base closings severalyears ago. Consequently, unemployment claims in the Columbus and Hinesville areas are runninf well below the statewide number. Likewise, west central Georgia is gearing up for the planned opening of a plant in Trouo County latenext year. In sharp contrast, first-time unemployment filings in Daltonh ---— ground zero for the carpet industry — shot up almost 106 percent during thelast year.
Gainesville was even leading the state with a 126 percenyt jumpin joblessness. While that could be attributed in part to the loss ofcarpey jobs, a bigger factor was the decision by Germanb auto parts maker to close its aluminuk wheel plant in Gainesville, resulting in nearlyy 300 layoffs. Too receng for the September statistics was an announcement by that it will clos a spun yarn plant in Dade in farnorthwestern Georgia, laying off 440 workers. Roy president of the Georgia Traditional ManufacturersAssociationm , puts the blame on the slump in residential construction.
“w number of folks we represent manufacturew products that go directlyto customers,” he “They’re impacted directly by the housingv downturn.” First-time unemployment claims in metro Atlanta rose almost 79 percenft during the last year, only slightly abovde the statewide figure. But that maskss large increases in joblessnessd inthe region’s outer counties. Cherokee, Douglax and Fayette counties saw increases in initial unemployment filings of more than 100 while first-time claims in Henryh County rose 97 percent.
The most dramatic evidenced of the trend came in July with the closurd ofof Woodstock, metro Atlanta’s 19th-largestt home builder according to the ’s 2007-200i8 Book of Lists. Kay Pippin, president of the Henry Countu Chamber ofCommerce , said it’s no surprisr that the housing slump has affecteds metro Atlanta’s fast-growing outlyingt counties more than the already built-out core counties. “We were fourtjh in America in new housing starts when all this she said. “Housing has come to a and it’s having a significant impac onour community.
” Thurmond said the diversified economies of Atlanta’s innee counties give them an advantage over the outer counties, whicy are primarily bedroom communities. “Thatt creates some economic insulation during a he said.