Coronavirus Updates: Department Of Labor Requests Budget Cut Exemption

Georgia’s Department of Labor is calling on state officials to give it an exemption from budget cuts because of the flood of unemployment claims it is handling.

Gov. Brian kemp is asking all state agencies to cut 14% from their budgets for the fiscal year that begins July 1, but unemployment numbers are expected to remain high due to the pandemic. Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says his agency is already swamped with processing the onslaught of claims, and telling his workers now they may soon be out of work themselves is bad for morale.

“We don’t want to get to the end of this months down the road and tell the hard-working women and men in the department of labor… great job you’ve done there… but all their federal money is gone., and I have to let some of you go,” he said. “I don’t think that’s a good reward.”