The Georgia Department of Labor is closing some of its offices to save money, and employees from Elberton and perhaps Monroe will be moving to the Athens Career Center, the department announced Thursday.

According to news releases, employees in Monroe will move either to Athens or Covington and nine employees working in Elberton will shift to Athens, effective July 1.

The labor department's increased online presence and its ability to offer services such as unemployment insurance claims electronically will lessen the impact of the office closures, the announcements said.

The deparment also offers monthly online chats which have been posted to Patch, on topics including surviving a layoff, career advice for young people and succeeding at job interviews.

In addition to Elberton and Monroe, the labor department plans not to renew office leases in Blairsville, Camilla, Eastman, Kings Bay, and Northwest Georgia in Ft. Oglethorpe.