#economy | AM 1180 Radio

February 22, 2026

Georgia Unemployment Claims Fall Sharply in Latest Report

Local News, Local News Items #EconomicUpdate, #economy, #GeorgiaJobs, #JoblessClaims, #LaborDepartment, #Layoffs, #northwestgeorgia, #Unemployment, #USJobs, #Workforce, #wzqznews, georgia 0

New filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia dropped last week compared with the week prior, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Initial jobless claims in Georgia — often used as a snapshot of layoffs — fell to 4,070 for the week ending February 14, down from 5,350 the previous week.

Nationally, initial unemployment claims also moved lower. The U.S. total dropped to 206,000 last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, down 23,000 from 229,000 the week before.

Among the states, Iowa saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims rising 15.4%. Virginia recorded the largest percentage drop, with new claims falling 42.5%.

February 1, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Unemployment Claims Fall Sharply in Latest Weekly Report

Local News, Local News Items #BusinessNews, #economy, #JoblessClaims, #LaborMarket, #Layoffs, #Unemployment, #USDOL, #wzqznews, georgia 0

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia declined last week compared with the week before, according to numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. New jobless claims in Georgia dropped to 4,472 for the week ending January 24, down from 6,278 the previous week.

Nationally, weekly unemployment claims also dipped slightly to 209,000, down 1,000 from 210,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Among the states, Nebraska reported the largest percentage increase in claims, while Kentucky recorded the biggest percentage decrease.

January 31, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Chattooga County Unemployment Drops to 4% as Northwest Georgia Labor Market Remains Strong

Local News, Local News Items #CatoosaCounty, #chattoogacounty, #DadeCounty, #DaltonGA, #economy, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfLabor, #GeorgiaJobs, #JobMarket, #LocalEconomy, #NorthGeorgia, #NWGA, #romegeorgia, #Unemployment, #WalkerCounty, #Workforce, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County’s unemployment rate fell to 4% in December, continuing a positive trend and reflecting improving labor conditions heading into the new year. According to data released by the Georgia Department of Labor, the county’s rate dropped from 4.7% in November and improved from over 5% in December 2024, signaling steady recovery and job growth locally.

January 31, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic Raise Minimum Starting Wage to $18.85 an Hour

Local News, Local News Items #AdvocateHealth, #atriumhealthfloyd, #chattoogacounty, #economy, #FloydCounty, #HarbinClinic, #healthcare, #jobs, #LocalBusiness, #minimumwage, #NorthGeorgia, #NWGA, #payraise, #WalkerCounty, #Workforce, #wzqznews 0

Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic are making an additional investment in their local workforce, announcing an increase in the minimum starting wage for eligible teammates in Northwest Georgia to $18.85 per hour, beginning with Jan. 30 paychecks. Leaders say the change is meant to strengthen long-term workforce stability and support the employees who provide care across the region.

January 25, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia Unemployment Claims Plunge Nearly 50% as Weekly Filings Fall Sharply

Local News, Local News Items #BusinessNews, #EconomicUpdate, #economy, #JoblessClaims, #LaborMarket, #Layoffs, #Unemployment, #USDOL, #Workforce, georgia 0

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia dropped significantly last week compared with the week prior, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. New jobless claims—a key proxy for layoffs—fell to 6,067 for the week ending January 17, down from 11,988 the previous week.

Nationally, U.S. unemployment claims edged up slightly to 200,000, an increase of 1,000 from 199,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The Virgin Islands recorded the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, rising 136.4%, while Georgia posted the largest percentage decline, with new claims down 49.4%.

December 29, 2025

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Weekly Unemployment Claims Fall Sharply as New Filings Drop Below 4,000

Local News, Local News Items #BusinessNews, #economy, #GeorgiaJobs, #georgianews, #LaborMarket, #Layoffs, #UnemploymentClaims, #USDOL, #Workforce, #WZQZ 0

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia dropped last week compared with the week prior, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

New jobless claims in Georgia — often used as a snapshot of layoffs — fell to 3,952 for the week ending December 19, down from 4,895 the previous week.

Nationally, U.S. unemployment claims also moved lower. The Labor Department reported 214,000 claims last week, down 10,000 from 224,000 the week before on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Across the country, Nebraska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with filings rising 63.3%, while West Virginia posted the largest percentage drop, down 39.7%.

Economists often watch weekly claims as an early indicator of labor market changes, with sustained increases potentially signaling rising layoffs and continued declines pointing to steadier employment conditions.

December 9, 2025

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia Gas Prices Dip to $2.79 a Gallon, National Average Slips Below $3 for First Time in Years

Local News, Local News Items #AAA, #AutoClubGroup, #chattoogacounty, #CommuterLife, #CostOfLiving, #CrudeOil, #economy, #FuelPrices, #GasPrices, #GAwx, #GeorgiaDrivers, #georgiagasprices, #georgianews, #LocalNews, #northwestgeorgia, #PainAtThePump, #RoadTripSeason, #TransportationNews, #WinterBlendGas, #WZQZ 0

Drivers across Georgia are seeing a little breathing room at the pump this week as the statewide average for a gallon of regular unleaded fell to $2.79, according to AAA. Prices can still shift day-to-day, but the overall trend is moving downward as the winter travel season approaches.

December 7, 2025

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia Port Trade Helps Support Hundreds of Jobs in Chattooga County

Local News, Local News Items #CatoosaCounty, #chattoogacounty, #DadeCounty, #economicimpact, #economy, #georgiaports, #jobs, #logistics, #manufacturing, #northwestgeorgia, #NWGA, #ports, #supplychain, #terrycollege, #transportation, #UGA, #WalkerCounty, #warehousing, #WZQZ, #wzqzwx, georgia 0

New economic data shows that jobs in Chattooga County are closely tied to trade moving through Georgia’s ports, even though those ports are hours away from Northwest Georgia.