Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

Thursday, May 16, 2013  The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 8.2 percent in April.

Thursday, April 25, 2013  Unemployment rates have dipped again for Southwest Georgia and Albany according to information released by the Georgia Department of Labor.

Friday, April 05, 2013  State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler today acknowledged receiving notification from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) that Georgia could be out of conformity with federal law for not paying unemployment benefits to certain educational workers during regularly scheduled holiday breaks.

Thursday, March 28, 2013  The Georgia Department of Labor has announced that Albany's and Southwest Georgia's unemployment rate has declined for the month of February.

Thursday, March 21, 2013  The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 8.6 percent in February, the lowest rate since January 2009.

Friday, March 15, 2013  Updated with video; The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the unemployment rate in Southwest Georgia has risen to 9.4% in January, whereas in December it was 9.1%. GDOL also announced that the unemployment rate in metro Albany also rose to 9.7% in January from 9.4% in December.

Thursday, March 14, 2013  The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia region rose to 9.4 percent in January, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 9.1 percent in December. The rate was 9.6 percent in January 2012.

Thursday, March 14, 2013  The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in metro Albany rose to 9.7 percent in January, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 9.4 percent in December.

Thursday, March 07, 2013  The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 8.7 percent, unchanged from December.

Friday, February 08, 2013  Updated with video; Home Depot has recently announced they will be hiring 80,000 new associate positions for the spring season, 10,000 more then they hired this time last year. Locally the effects of this hiring spree are already being felt.

Thursday, January 24, 2013  The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia region rose to 9.2 percent in December, up five-tenths of a percentage point from 8.7 percent in November.

Wednesday, January 09, 2013  In a press release issued Wednesday afternoon by the Georgia Department of Labor, they have announced that some recipients of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) in Georgia will lose extended unemployment benefits after Saturday, January 12th.

Thursday, December 27, 2012  The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday morning that unemployment in Southwest Georgia and Albany has dropped for November.

Thursday, December 20, 2012  The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has declined to 8.5 percent for November.

Thursday, November 29, 2012  The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) and the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) are reaching out to former Hostess Brands Inc. employees who have been affected by the recent closing.