Claims were actually down from April, when laid-off metro workers filed 788 claims, according to data released Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor.
Statewide, 44,711 people filed first-time claims for unemployment in May, down from 51,604 in April but up 29.4 percent from 34,543 a year earlier.
Meanwhile, claims in Albany declined by 19.4 percent from a year ago.
The total number of Georgians receiving unemployment insurance benefits also rose last month to 74,981, up 37.4 percent from 54,580 in May 2007, according to the labor department.
The maximum benefit available to laid-off workers is about $310 a week for 26 weeks, a spokesman said.
Laid-off workers who have sought work through staffing agencies may find greater opportunities coming open in metro Albany.
“We were very slow earlier in the year, but in the last few weeks we have seen an upturn in demand,” said Liz Berry, manager of the Albany office of Manpower Temporary Services.
A survey of area employers found that 17 percent planned to hire more workers from July to December, Berry said.
“What we’re expecting to see is better prospects in construction, nondurable-goods manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade. Everything else is looking to remain steady,” she said.