Approximately one in every four Georgians are uninsured, according to a new report issued by the Census and reported on by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This isn't surprising -- every day more Georgians become uninsured, especially those living in areas where construction and manufacturing are the main industries.

For example, the construction and manufacturing sectors saw significant job loss at 19.7 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively. Job loss and unemployment rates are directly related, and industries such as construction already had a disporportinately high rate of uninsurance, even before the recession hit.

The cost for unemployed Americans who try to purchase coverage through a former employer consumes 30 to 84 percent of standard unemployment benefits, according to a Department of Labor report released in January. Because few people can afford that coverage, the result is a growing number of workers who not only lost their job, but also their health coverage.

More information according to the AJC article:

A little more than 29 percent of Clayton County residents of working age — which the bureau defines as anyone ages 18 to 64 — are uninsured, the bureau reports in the numbers being released today.

DeKalb County’s uninsured of working age followed with 28 percent without coverage. Gwinnett has a 26.5 percent population in the category. The number of uninsured of working age in Fulton was 23 percent; in Cobb, it was 19.3 percent. In Georgia, it was 24.6 percent.

Read the article here.