Season Nears, Concerns About North Atlantic Right Whales Grow, Storms Taking Aim At South Could Bring Strong Tornadoes, Ga. Labor Commissioner Responds To Complaints Of Unemployment Claims Backlog, Georgia Vaccine Appointment Alert System Grew Out Of Sign-Up Frustration, Police: Georgia Shooting Suspect May Have ‘Sexual Addiction’, Atlanta Police Chief: Too Early To Determine If Massage Parlor Shootings That Left 8 Dead A Hate Crime, Trump Encourages His Supporters To Get COVID-19 Vaccine, Within Limits of ‘Freedoms’. By JEFF AMY September 10, 2020 ATLANTA (AP) — Many people collecting unemployment benefits in Georgia will get up to $1,800 in extra federal assistance over the next two weeks, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced Thursday. Those who have filed individually for regular state unemployment benefits will have to certify that they are unemployed or on reduced hours because of the pandemic. Author: Doug Richards Published: 5:29 PM EST February 4, … ATLANTA – Some Georgia employers are having a hard time filling job openings because generous unemployment benefits are encouraging them to stay home, state Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said Thursday. Georgia has gained back 82% of the jobs lost since the pandemic first gained a foothold in Georgia last March, the labor department reported Thursday. Georgia has received more than 4 million claims for state and federal benefits since March, often overwhelming the understaffed department and prompting complaints from Democratic state lawmakers and those seeking benefits. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says the vast majority of unemployment claims are getting processed. They tend to be people with low wages or who worked few hours. To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above. Atlanta Moves More Than 450 People Who'd Been Homeless Into Housing Using Pandemic Funds, Massage Parlor Shootings Leave 8 Dead, Many Of Asian Descent, Georgia Adds 3.3M To Those Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccination, Experts: Georgia Vaccine Woes At Least Partly Self-Inflicted, As The End Of Their Ga. We must continue to work to help the unemployed and underemployed achieve better wages through training. Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler commented on a successful job market report for the month of October. Still, some state lawmakers say the current backlog of unemployment claims could have been prevented through stronger leadership. Georgia's unemployment rate in January was down a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percentage points from December after the state added 489,000 jobs in the past nine months. ATLANTA (AP) — Many people collecting unemployment benefits in Georgia will get up to $1,800 in extra federal assistance over the next two weeks, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced Thursday. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler explains why Georgia's economy continues to perform so well. UNEMPLOYMENT. “In December, key indicators varied in the different regions and counties,” Butler said. Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler addressed some great achievements this past year, including tying the record-low unemployment rate, seeing a peak in jobs, and continuing to grow the labor force. Labor Commissioner Butler to Host Employer Summit in Albany on Aug. 1 ATLANTA, July 17, 2018 – State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced that a business summit called Employers in The Know will be held in Albany on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Georgia was approved for the federal money on Aug. 23, but had to program its computer system to pay the money. The ARP will also extend the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) weekly supplement of $300 for the additional 25 weeks of benefits. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler on Thursday announced the record-setting number for August. There were 526,000 people collecting state benefits as of Aug. 29, and another 260,000 collecting the special pandemic assistance. Mark Butler joined “Closer Look” to talk about some of the challenges in processing unemployment claims due to the pandemic. Unemployed Georgians filed 28,387 initial claims last week, up 2,940 from the previous week, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says the vast majority of unemployment claims are getting processed. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Atlanta’s unemployment rate decreased in June. “We will do the same this time.”. In fact, every state and the District of Columbia reached unemployment rates greater than their highest levels during the Great Recession. Georgia’s two U.S. senators want to know why so many are having trouble getting unemployment benefits. Learn more about unemployment services during COVID-19 and what the GDOL is doing to bridge the pay gap. Claims have fallen to about 50,000 a week, still high before the COVID-19 outbreak. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says the vast majority of unemployment claims are getting processed. Our strong relationships with job training programs help us … Butler said the first three weeks of payments backdated to Aug. 1 and totaling up to $900, will be made early next week. The lawsuit has six co-defendants, all of whom are currently unemployed. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Northwest Georgia’s unemployment rate decreased in May. “Although the six weeks of benefits wasn’t what many had hoped for, the additional support will make a big difference to some struggling to avoid eviction,” Butler said in a statement. Georgia Democrats' demand for a federal review of the state's unemployment payment process is a political attack, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Monday. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler Image courtesy of the Georgia Department of Labor (The Center Square) – Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said accusations regarding the Georgia Department of Labor’s failure to issue timely unemployment payments are baseless. Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. The month-to-month increase also was highest one-month increase ever recorded in the state, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said. Those moves have been partially reversed in recent months. Butler said the August unemployment rate was 4.6 percent, down from 4.8 percent in July. (The Center Square) – Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said accusations regarding the Georgia Department of Labor’s failure to issue timely unemployment payments are baseless. Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; Print; Save; featured . “This is the highest unemployment rate on record, eclipsing the previous high of 10.6 percent that occurred in December 2010,” Butler said. ATLANTA (AP) — Many people collecting unemployment benefits in Georgia will get up to $1,800 in extra federal assistance over the next two weeks, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced Thursday. Butler said they are inadequately staffed right now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz and Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler talked about navigating unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic in … Your questions answered about filing for unemployment in Georgia during COVID-19: severance, payouts, federal help, and more. The office of Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said last week that 92% of valid claimants had received benefits in the past 19 weeks, where a payment has been requested. As a matter of fact, last year we had the fewest number of claims since 1990! Due to the pandemic, the U.S. unemployment rate peaked to unprecedented levels, reaching 14.8% back in April. A year ago, in April, the rate was 3.6 percent. Michelle Evermore, who tracks unemployment benefits for the National Employment Law Project, said she anticipates most states will have to borrow. Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. That doesn’t mean that our work is done. ATLANTA – Multiple Georgia residents have filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) and its commissioner, Mark Butler, to compel the department to perform its duties under Georgia law to timely process unemployment applications, make eligibility determinations, pay unemployment benefits to eligible applicants, and schedule administrative appeal hearings on … The Republican president announced the plan after an additional $600-a-week that was paid on top of other jobless benefits expired on Aug. 1. Due to the effects of COVID-19, … The amount represents up to six weeks of $300-a-week emergency federal payments that President Donald Trump announced last month using $44 billion in federal disaster money. Claimants should check their eligibility online. Recently, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler told a Senate subcommittee that, nationwide, labor departments dealt with unprecedented challenges in processing unemployment claims due to the pandemic. Georgia is eligible to borrow interest-free because its reserves were relatively high before the pandemic. "In our first month of 2021, we saw the unemployment rate continue to drop, signifying Georgia is pushing through this pandemic," Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday in an announcement of the new … Author: Doug Richards Published: 5:29 PM EST February 4, 2021 Mark Butler, Georgia’s state labor commissioner, had one job during the coronavirus pandemic: issue unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in a timely fashion. Georgia currently has some of the lowest unemployment numbers in the past three decades. As a matter of fact, last year we had the fewest number of claims since 1990! We must continue to work to help the unemployed and underemployed achieve better wages through training. After the Great Recession, Georgia cut the number of weeks it would pay benefits, in part to repay debt that peaked at $760 million in 2012. That doesn’t mean that our work is done. They cite the agency’s failure to process claims and the lack of justification for the denials as the justification for the suit against the department and Commissioner Mark Butler. On Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Butler joined host Rose Scott to share his response. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced last week that Northeast Georgia’s unemployment rate increased in December. “June continued to show positive growth across all MSAs,” Butler said. The Northeast Georgia region includes Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties. “Unemployment is very complicated,” said Butler. Still, some state lawmakers say the current backlog of unemployment claims could have been prevented through stronger leadership. To be eligible, Georgia recipients must already be getting at least $100 a week in state benefits, or $149 a week in benefits from the special federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for self-employed, nonprofit and gig workers. A U.S. Treasury Department website shows Georgia has already borrowed $62 million from the Treasury, one of 15 states that have so far borrowed $29.3 billion. Recently, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler told a Senate subcommittee that, nationwide, labor departments dealt with unprecedented challenges in processing unemployment claims due to the pandemic. The state has paid out all that amount, plus more than $10 billion in additional federal assistance since mid-March. UNEMPLOYMENT. Unemployment in Georgia fell by 2 percentage points last month to 5.6%, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday. Get a $20 discounted print subscription today! Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says the vast majority of unemployment claims are getting processed. Mark Butler. State Department of Labor spokesperson Kersha Cartwright said the state can’t yet estimate how many people will be paid the $300-a-week benefit or how much in total will be paid. “Although state trust funds were in slightly better shape heading into this recession, the numbers were just so staggering that states couldn’t have anticipated this massive surge,” Evermore said. A man uses his phone to copy phone numbers posted on the locked doors of a Georgia Department of Labor office Thursday, May 7, 2020, in Norcross Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Georgia currently has some of the lowest unemployment numbers in the past three decades. Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said the Georgia Department of Labor has processed more unemployment claims in the past five weeks than in the worst year of the recession. Labor conditions in the State of Georgia (U.S.) @ www.GeorgiaLaborReport.com Thursday, May 19, 2016 Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler responds to labor … But those making Georgia’s minimum benefit of $55 a week won’t be eligible. More:Georgia House Democrats air complaints over unemployment claims processing Butler said some of the more recent economic numbers give him reason for optimism that an end is in sight. “It did not take us long to pay back the money and build our trust fund...,” Butler said. Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler weighs in ... Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler … Still, some state lawmakers say the current backlog of unemployment claims could have been prevented through stronger leadership. The remaining three weeks of payments, for weeks through last Friday, will be made late next week. Because Georgia allows someone to earn up to $300 a week, plus $365 a week in state benefits, people getting the full $300 could make up to $965 a week with the extra federal money. "We will work with the USDOL to implement the new extension of benefits that are part of the American Rescue Plan," said Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler ATLANTA – First-time unemployment claims in Georgia rose last week for the second week in a row, even as jobless claims nationwide were on the decline. Recently, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler told a Senate subcommittee that, nationwide, labor departments dealt with unprecedented challenges in processing unemployment claims due to the pandemic. Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) Commissioner Mark Butler addressed complaints about the “slow” processing of unemployment claims. Georgia collects unemployment taxes from businesses to fund its state benefits, but that piggy bank, which stood above $2.5 billion in March, has run dry in recent days. Worst is yet to come for Georgia unemployment numbers, after jobless rate rose to 4.2% in March from 3.1% in February. Georgia’s jobless rate hits lowest level in nearly 10 years. ATLANTA – Multiple Georgia residents have filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) and its commissioner, Mark Butler, to compel the department to perform its duties under Georgia law to timely process unemployment applications, make eligibility determinations, pay unemployment benefits to eligible applicants, and schedule administrative appeal hearings on … July 20, 2017 GMT.