The Georgia Department of Labor reported on Thursday that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia area rose to 11.2 percent in October, up two-tenths of one percentage point from a revised 11.0 percent in September. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed workers in the area increased by 367, from 45,006 in September to 45,373 in October.
In October 2008, there were 30,877 jobless workers in the Northwest Georgia area, when the unemployment rate was 7.4 percent.
The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the metro Dalton area rose to 12.9 percent in October, up six-tenths of one percentage point from a revised 12.3 percent in September. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed workers in the area increased by 384, from 7,744 in September to 8,128 in October.
In October 2008, there were 5,974 jobless workers in Dalton, when the unemployment rate was 9.1 percent. The number of payroll jobs in metro Dalton in October 2009 was 66,700, a loss of 5,900, or 8.1 percent, from 72,600 in October 2008.
Statewide, the number of payroll jobs in October was 3,858,800, a decrease of 227,700 or 5.6 percent, from 4,086,500 in October of 2008. The over-the-year losses came in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, professional and business services, and construction.
Educational and health services added 13,200 jobs over the year. Also, from September to October, a total of 5,200 jobs were added in retail trade, public and private education, and health care.
The state’s labor force decreased 139,015, or 2.9 percent, from 4,859,703 in October 2008 to 4,720,688 in October 2009.
Meanwhile, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose slightly to 10.2 percent in October, up one-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 10.1 percent in September. The October jobless rate was up 3.3 percentage points from 6.9 percent at this same time last year.
Georgia’s unemployment rate matched the national rate of 10.2 percent for the first time in two years. Since October of 2007, when a jobless rate of 4.8 percent was recorded by both the state and the nation, Georgia’s rate has exceeded the national rate.
The local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.