Job losses jumping as crisis hits home - Birmingham Business Journal:

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First-time unemployment claims soared in Georgia last month tonearlt 57,000, according to the state Department of Labor, a 76.3 percenrt increase over initial filingds in September of last year. Among the areasa hardest hit by the growing joblessness werenorthermn Georgia’s carpet belt, center to an industry that relies on residential construction to keep orders and metro Atlanta’s outer where the housing boom has turned into a “Housing has been good to Georgiza over the last decade,” Georgia Commissioner of Labord Michael Thurmond said.
“Now, we’re feelinv some of the repercussions of the Thurmond pointed to some parts of Georgia wherr the job market remains in relatively good Forts Benning and Stewart were among the few net winnersz during the last round of military base closingz severalyears ago. unemployment claims in the Columbus and Hinesvilld areas are running well below thestatewidse number. Likewise, west central Georgia is gearing up for the planner opening of a plant in Trou County latenext year. In sharp contrast, first-time unemployment filings in Dalton ground zero for the carpetindustry — shot up almost 106 percentf during the last year.
Gainesville was even leading the state with a 126 perceng jumpin joblessness. While that could be attributedd in part to the loss ofcarpet jobs, a bigger factor was the decision by Germab auto parts maker to close its aluminuj wheel plant in Gainesville, resulting in nearlyh 300 layoffs. Too recent for the Septembe r statistics was an announcement by that it will clos a spun yarn plang inDade County, in far northwestern laying off 440 workers. Roy Bowen, president of the Georgiq Traditional ManufacturersAssociation , puts the blamse on the slump in residentiall construction. “A number of folks we represent manufacture products that go directlyhto customers,” he said.
“They’re impacted directly by the housing First-time unemployment claims in metro Atlanta rose almost 79 perceny during thelast year, only slightly abovwe the statewide figure. But that masks larged increases in joblessness inthe region’z outer counties. Cherokee, Douglas and Fayette countiee saw increases in initial unemployment filings of more than 100 while first-time claims in Henry County rose 97 The most dramatic evidence of the trendc came in July with the closured of of Woodstock, metro Atlanta’s 19th-largesy home builder according to the ’sd 2007-2008 Book of Lists.
Kay president of the Henry Countu Chamber ofCommerce , said it’sz no surprise that the housing slum has affected metro Atlanta’s fast-growing outlying counties more than the alreadty built-out core counties. “We were fourt h in America in new housing starts when all this she said. “Housing has come to a and it’s having a significant impact on our Thurmond said the diversified economiesof Atlanta’sw inner counties give them an advantage over the outer which are primarily bedroom “That creates some economic insulation durinhg a downturn,” he said.