The number of people receiving unemployment benefits in Georgia could nearly double if most federal workers in the state seek aid as a result of the government’s partial shutdown. But Georgia’s beleaguered trust fund for benefits will be OK, state labor officials say.
About 5,000 federal employees around the state had filed for aid this week through midafternoon Friday, according to the state’s Department of Labor. Roughly 1,5oo of them were in metro Atlanta.
It’s still unclear how many federal workers living in Georgia have been laid off. Thousands are likely still on the job. And while those who are out of work could apply for benefits, state officials predict that many will hold off. One reason: anyone who receives benefits would have to pay it back once they return to work if political leaders grant them back pay.
About 78,000 people already receive unemployment benefits in Georgia. That’s about how many federal workers are based in the state, not including uniformed military personnel and postal employees.
Some federal employees weren’t anxious to seek aid soon after the shutdown, said Brenda Brown, who oversees unemployment processing and career centers for the state’s department of labor. “I think a lot of these workers were thinking this was going to come to a quick resolution.”
Some who were laid off may have earned pay for Monday and Tuesday. If those earnings exceed their potential weekly benefit, they would not get aid for that week, Brown said. Georgia’s unemployment is capped at $330 a week.
The federal government reimburses the state for unemployment paid to federal workers. Brown said she doesn’t expect a delay in those reimbursements, despite the partial shutdown.
That’s good news for the state’s $219 million trust fund for unemployment insurance benefits. The state still owes the federal government nearly $297 million for bailing out the trust fund during the recession. Brown said Georgia is on target to fully repay Washington by November 2014.
About the Author
