The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia region in August was 5.2 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 5.6 percent in July. The rate in August 2015 was 5.7 percent.
The rate fell as employers laid off fewer workers. The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 1,838, or 41.9 percent, to 2,552 in August. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing and administrative and support services, which includes temporary staffing agencies. Over the year, claims were up by 340, or 15.4 percent, from 2,212 in August 2015.
Also, the labor force in the Northwest Georgia region, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs, declined by 4,155 to 405,522 in August. The number of employed residents decreased by 2,370 to 384,317, while the number of unemployed fell by 1,785 to 21,205.
Metro Dalton’s unemployment rate in August was 5.9 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 6.3 percent in July. The rate in August 2015 was also 6.3 percent.
The rate fell as employers added more jobs and laid off fewer workers.
The number of jobs increased by 200, or 0.3 percent, to 68,500. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, along with state and local government as the public schools reopened for the new school year.
Over the year, Dalton gained 500 jobs, a 0.7 percent growth rate, up from 68,000 in August 2015. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, along with the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.
The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 844, or 54 percent, to 719 in August. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing. Over the year, claims were up by 80, or 12.5 percent, from 639 in August 2015.
The labor force, which consists of employed people and those who are unemployed but actively looking for jobs, declined by 683 to 61,138 in August. The number of employed residents decreased by 420 to 57,508, while the number of unemployed residents fell by 263 to 3,630.
Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 6.6 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for August was 4.9 percent, down from 5 percent in July. It was 5.6 percent in August 2015.
Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service,www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In August, 2,754 new job openings in the Northwest Georgia region were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 62,839 new job openings were posted.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available atwww.dol.georgia.gov
To learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers, and to connect with us on social media, visit www.dol.georgia.gov