Georgia won the American Institute for Full Employment 2008 Best Practices Award and Performance Award.

Under the leadership of Commissioner Michael Thurmond, the Georgia Department of Labor developed proactive policies to effectively connect UI claimants with Georgia’s workforce programs so that UI claimants are constantly exposed to job placement, job counseling and training services.

In addition, Commissioner Thurmond developed the innovative “Georgia Works” program, which gives claimants a training opportunity with prospective employers to demonstrate their skills and abilities. The result? “Georgia Works” has seen 63% of the enrollees placed in employment.

These successful policies and initiatives communicate to the UI claimants that the agency’s focus is to assist them in finding suitable employment. As a result, the Georgia Department of Labor boasts an average 11.3 weeks claim duration for the 12 months ending March 2008—the lowest in the country and significantly below the national average of 15.2 weeks.