The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia area declined to 9.4 percent in August, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 9.7 percent in July. The rate was 10.4 percent in August 2011.
The rate decreased because there were 2,974 fewer layoffs in manufacturing, construction, trade, transportation and warehousing, professional and technical services, administrative and support services, educational services, and accommodations and food services. Also, the area’s labor force declined by 2,740, partially because some students left summer jobs to return to school.
The preliminary unemployment rate in metro Dalton declined to 11.6 percent in August, down five-tenths of a percentage point from 12.1 percent in July. The rate was 12.4 percent in August 2011.
The rate decreased because there were 690 fewer layoffs in manufacturing, construction, retail trade, professional and technical services, and administrative and support services. Also, the metro labor force declined by 432, partially because some students left summer jobs to return to school.
Metro Athens continued to have the lowest area jobless rate at 6.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Regional Commission had the highest at 12.2 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in August, unchanged from July. The jobless rate was 9.9 percent in August a year ago.
The number of jobs in the state rose by 25,100, or six-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,914,100 in July to 3,939,200 in August. Georgia has created 49,700 jobs since August 2011 when there were 3,889,500 jobs.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us
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