Fewer layoffs reported in Gainesville metro

ATLANTA - Not only are more people in the Gainesville metro finding employment, fewer workers are being laid off.

That's the word from the State Labor Department as the latest unemployment rates were released this past Thursday.

Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said the number of initial unemployment claims in the Gainesville metro dropped 30.2 percent in August from the previous month.

"Probably one of the most important sectors where we saw those initial claims go down was manufacturing," said Butler. "We also saw a decrease in initial claims in administrative and support services."

Butler said the Gainesville metro also has seen about 1,000 jobs open up since this time last year.