ATLANTA - State auditors say a low-income jobs program run by the Department of Human Services is rife with fraud, waste and abuse likely resulting from mismanagement and weak controls at the central office.

The report was released Thursday be the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts after the agency received a whistleblower complaint regarding concerns of financial irregularities in the Adult Subsidized Employment Program. It was a fully funded program under the federal stimulus package.

According to the audit, 62 percent of the employers participating in the program did not meet all eligibility criteria but were approved despite the agency's awareness of the lack of qualifications. Additionally, job seekers employed by the program may have continued to receive benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid in error.