Location

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that first time unemployment claims rose dramatically compared to a year ago in September in the state of Georgia. Compared with September 2008, claims were up 17.6 percent to at least 66,610 workers. Claims dropped slightly compared to August of this year.

More tellingly, the total number of workers drawing unemployment benefits skyrocketed to 139,900, representing a 63 percent increase over September of last year when "only" around 89,000 workers were collecting on unemployment insurance claims. One reason for this is obvious: People are remaining jobless for longer periods of time than they used to.

Another less obvious reason for the drastic increase in those receiving benefits may be that more workers are actually collecting. Southerners typically loathe to take "charity" from the government.

At any rate, it speaks to increasing desperation in the state of Georgia, already hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and slowdown in construction. Some neighborhoods in the exurbs of Atlanta reportedly becoming veritable ghost towns, and this reporter hears word that Atlanta's nightmarish traffic has become noticeably lighter. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Good luck to all our unemployed brothers and sisters from Georgia.