Unemploymentrate inches up locally

Increase of 15,100 jobs in September not enough to offset losses as rate climbs to6.7% in metro Atlanta.

Metro Atlanta has 202,149 people officially unemployed, almost twice as many as a year ago, according to data released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

At the same time, it has about 100,000 job openings.

The region added 15,100 jobs in

September, but unemployment stood at 6.7%, up from 6.4% in August. In the past sevenmonths, more than 1.4million Georgians have received unemployment benefifits.

Hiring has been strongest in home improvement stores, ecommerce and technology.

Among those hiring is 1Path, an Atlanta- based technology service company. It is adding “dozens” of technicians, especially in a division that handles security system installation and maintenance, a spokesperson said.

But even as many firms hire, others are still cutting.

Statewide last week, 44,892 jobless claims were processed, down 9,274 from the previous week. For months, many jobless Georgians complained of long waits to receive unemployment benefifits, but state labor Commissioner Mark Butler said the time

it takes to process and pay claims has been dramatically cut.

The number of claims are down from the peaks in the spring, but still higher than any pre- pandemic week, a sign of continued trouble in some economic sectors.

The Hyat t Regency recently filed notice with the Department of Labor that it is laying off 267workers. Crown Plaza filed notice that it is cutting more than 120 jobs.

Some company problems are caused by drops in consumer spending. But many company failures are because of a change in creditor attitude, said Jim Swift, chief executive of Cortera, which tracks business spending.

For the first fewmonths of the pandemic, many companies accepted late or partial payments from businesses that were struggling. But that has changed over the past several months, he said.

“Suppliers are not tolerating slow payments,” he said. “You see them saying, ‘ No, I’m just going to focus on my strong customers.’ So it’s a little like survival of the fittest.”