Unemployment insurance claims in Polk County are up

The workforce in Polk County is taking another hit as unemployment insurance figures for the month of October are now out. According to the Georgia Department of Labor, the number of first time unemployment insurance fillings increased 26.4%. In October, 561 Polk County residents filed for first time unemployment benefits. That is up from 457 first time claims a year ago. Floyd and Gordon Counties continue to be the worst in the number of filings, but have seen the percentage level off month-over month.