Unemployed Georgians Remains Historically High

From the Georgia Recorder: By Ross Williams - May 28, 2020

More than 164,000 Georgians filed new unemployment claims during the week that ended May 23, down from nearly 178,000 the week before but joblessness remains historically high as the state economy continues to reel from the effects of COVID-19.

The first week of March, only about 4,000 Georgians filed new claims, before the state ordered most Georgians to stay home and many businesses to close to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

As of May 21, the Georgia Department of Labor has issued more than $3.1 billion in state and federal unemployment benefits to 651,000 Georgians, but even some who have received payments report having problems.

Bri Terrell of Decatur was laid off from her job at Alpharetta-based Apple Spice Catering March 15. She was part of the first wave of workers hit by the pandemic, who were largely employed in food service, hospitality and transportation.

Terrell filed for unemployment the same day and got her first payment seven weeks later, but it only included three weeks of backpay, and she’s gotten nothing else since despite numerous calls and emails, she said.

“It’s very frustrating,” she said. “Anxiety is at its all-time high. Meanwhile, the most nerve-wracking and stressful feeling is not being able to pay rent.”

Terrell said she’s $1,700 behind on rent with no income. Her landlord has even entered her home unannounced seeking payment.

“We had a big disagreement, and finally when my back pay came, I assured him I would pay every week to catch up,” she said. “Well, payments came and stopped on May 5.

Now, she’s staying at home and trying to balance caring for her two children with navigating Georgia’s online unemployment system.

“I try to make life as good as possible with what I can get,” she said. “I had to prioritize, prioritize what bill will get what amount, and budget, because at this level of uncertainty. My mind has been telling me to prioritize and put my family first. I feel bad for my landlord because he may be in a bad situation since I can’t pay full rent.”

Terrell said her kids are fed and doing OK, though she has had to visit food banks and borrow money to keep the cupboard stocked.

“Thank God for a family unit,” she said. “Most of our surviving has been based off of us helping each other, but you get tired of asking for help too, you know?”

The number of people filing for unemployment for a second week or more also dropped in Georgia, just under 729,000 for the week ending May 16, down from 790,000 the week before.

Nationwide, more than 2.1 million workers filed initial claims last week, and more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance since mid-March.

This story was originally published by the Georgia Recorder. For more stories from the Georgia Recorder, visit GeorgiaRecorder.com.