Mark Butler, Georgia’s Labor Commissioner, has announced that the state’s unemployment rate fell in October to tie its all-time low that was set nearly 20 years ago. Georgia also set new highs for jobs and employment, reports the state Department of Labor.
Georgia’s unemployment rate stood at 3.4 percent last month. That number was last reached in December 2000. It marked a decline from 3.5 percent in September and from 3.7 percent in October 2018.
Butler indicates that while it was nice to match the state’s all-time record low for unemployment, he is more encouraged by the increases in the number of employed residents and in jobs. The number of unemployed residents fell to its lowest level in over 18 years.
This decrease in the number of unemployed residents to under 175,000 stood out the most among October’s labor data, says Butler. When the number was that low back in 2001, there were one million fewer people in the work force, he adds.
The national unemployment rate rose in October to 3.6 percent, an increase from 3.5 percent in September.
Georgia added 5,400 jobs in October to push the total number of jobs to 4.64 million – a new record for the state. That number was up by 72,500 from this same time last year.
The number of jobs rose over the year by 1,000 in Metro Rome to bring the total to 42,800 in October 2019.
First time claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, rose statewide by 29 percent over the month but declined by about 11 percent over the year.
UI claims declined over the year for Metro Rome by 250, or 51.8 percent, to 233 in October 2019.
The number of employed residents across Georgia increased to a new record of 4.95 million. The state’s labor force stood at over 5.1 million.
Connect with the Georgia Department of Labor online for more labor market data and information about services for job seekers at www.dol.georgia.gov.