ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Labor announced that some long-term unemployed workers may now be eligible for additional Emergency Unemployment Compensation in Georgia. The GDOL is mailing notifications to those who may be eligible and instructing them to begin filing for benefits.

EUC was established in 2008 to aid the long-term unemployed. Federal law mandates that a state in which EUC is provided must have a three-month seasonally adjusted unemployment average of 9.0 percent to qualify for the EUC Tier 4 program. This program allows extended benefits for individuals who have exhausted first, second, and third tiers of EUC and have no potential eligibility for regular unemployment insurance benefits.

Georgia will “trigger on” EUC’s Tier 4 unemployment insurance program during the week beginning Oct. 8 because the state’s average jobless rate has risen in the last three months, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Georgia’s unemployment rates for June, July, and August have averaged 9.2 percent.

During the week ending July 7, Georgia “triggered off” the program because the state’s jobless rate had declined below 9.0 percent during the three-month period, which included March, April, and May. Georgia’s jobless rate was 9.0 percent in March, but dropped to 8.9 percent in April and May.

For additional information, visit the GDOL Web site at www.dol.state.ga.us.