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

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First-time unemployment claims soared in Georgia last montjh tonearly 57,000, accordint to the state Departmenf of Labor, a 76.3 percenrt increase over initial filings in September of last year. Amonfg the areas hardest hit by the growing joblessness werenortherjn Georgia’s carpet belt, center to an industrh that relies on residential constructionh to keep orders flowing, and metrlo Atlanta’s outer suburbs, where the housing boom has turnee into a bust. “Housin g has been good to Georgia over the last Georgia Commissioner of Labor MichaelThurmond said. we’re feeling some of the repercussions ofthe downturn.
” Thurmondx pointed to some parts of Georgia wherre the job market remains in relatively good shape. Fortw Benning and Stewart were among the few net winner during the last round of military base closings severalyearsx ago. Consequently, unemployment claims in the Columbus and Hinesville areasz are running well below thestatewide Likewise, west central Georgia is gearinh up for the planned opening of a plangt in Troup County late next year. In sharp contrast, first-time unemploymentg filings in Dalton ---— ground zero for the carpety industry — shot up almost 106 percent during the last Gainesville waseven worse, leadinhg the state with a 126 percenr jump in joblessness.
While that could be attributed in part to the loss ofcarpetg jobs, a bigger factor was the decisio by German auto partxs maker to close its aluminum wheel plant in resulting in nearly 300 layoffs. Too recent for the September statistice was an announcement by that it will clos e a spun yarn plant in Dade in farnorthwestern Georgia, laying off 440 Roy Bowen, president of the Georgias Traditional Manufacturers Association , puts the blam on the slump in residential construction. “A number of folks we represenft manufacture products that go directlyto customers,” he said. “They’rde impacted directly by the housingt downturn.
” First-time unemployment claims in metro Atlanta rose almosft 79 percent during thelast year, only slightly abover the statewide figure. But that masks large increases in joblessness inthe region’ds outer counties. Cherokee, Douglaws and Fayette counties saw increases in initial unemployment filingse of more than 100 while first-time claims in Henry County rose 97 The most dramatic evidencew of the trend came in July with the closurs of of Woodstock, metro Atlanta’s 19th-largest home builder accordinfg to the ’s 2007-20087 Book of Lists.
Kay president of the Henry County Chamberd ofCommerce , said it’s no surprisde that the housing slump has affected metro Atlanta’s fast-growing outlying counties more than the alread y built-out core counties. “We were fourthg in America in new housinyg starts when all this she said. “Housing has come to a and it’s having a significant impacty onour community.” Thurmonrd said the diversified economies of Atlanta’s inne r counties give them an advantage over the outed counties, which are primarily bedroom communities. “Thar creates some economic insulation during a he said.