Labor Department officials are expecting a large turnout today for a jobs fair meant to fill about 45 openings at a new Dalton, Ga., disability claims office.
Some of the jobs don’t necessarily require a college degree, though it is preferred. The entry-level pay is in the low-20s range and supervisors make in the mid-40s, according to the job listings.
“Because the jobs are funded through the federal government, they are very stable,” said Sam Hall, state labor department spokesman.
The state is looking to fill 45 positions spread over five job titles, but all positions are aimed at helping process disability claims. No experience is needed, Hall said, and three weeks of training will acclimate new hires to their positions.
Applicants interested in the position of disability adjudication associate are required to take a state test, he said. No studying is required, but applicants must arrive promptly at 1 p.m. and be prepared for a four-hour exam, Hall said.
If applicants can’t attend today’s hiring fair, online applications will be considered, he said. Applications close on Friday.
The state hopes to have the office staffed by Sept. 15 and open by October.
The positions were welcomed with open arms Tuesday when Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond came to Dalton to announce the new Disability Adjudication Services office, the first claims office in Northwest Georgia. Currently, there are offices in Stone Mountain, Thomasville, Savannah and Athens.
County and city leaders praised the new positions. At 11.8 percent, Dalton has the state’s highest unemployment rate. As of July, Georgia’s unemployment rate was about 9.9 percent.
Thurmond said he initially planned to hire 100 disability claims workers for the Atlanta Department of Labor Office, but reconsidered after attending a jobs fair in Dalton that attracted 5,000 unemployed workers.
The state plans to spend about $2 million in salaries alone at the new Dalton branch, money that comes from the federal government, Thurmond said.
Adam Crisp covers education issues for the Times Free Press. He joined the paper's staff in 2007 and initially covered crime, public safety, courts and general assignment topics. Prior to Chattanooga, Crisp was a crime reporter at the Savannah Morning News and has been a reporter and editor at community newspapers in southeast Georgia. In college, he led his student paper to a first-place general excellence award from the Georgia College Press Association. He earned ...
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