UNEMPLOYMENT RATES DECLINED IN JANUARY FOR ROME AND NORTHWEST GEORGIA

Georgia’s Labor Commissioner Mark Butler has announced that Rome saw a decline in its unemployment rate in January.

Rome’s rate dropped by 0.5 percentage points to reach 4.7 percent in January. A year ago, the rate was 4.1 percent.

Butler says, “In January, we saw the rate drop in every MSA but one. Starting the year off strong with such a positive indicator is promising, especially as we learn to adapt in this everchanging workforce due to COVID.”

The metropolitan statistical area ended the month with 40,700 jobs, a number unchanged from December and down by 800 from the same time last year.

First-time unemployment claims were down in Rome by about seven percent over the month, but up by about 35 percent from January 2020.

Northwest Georgia’s unemployment rate was down in January by 0.4 percent to reach 4.3 percent. The rate was 3.8 percent a year ago.

Initial unemployment claims declined across the region by nine percent over the month, but rose by about 41 percent in comparison to January ’20.