Release from Georgia Department of Labor
March 14, 2013

Southwest Georgia’s unemployment rate rises to 9.4 percent in January

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia region rose to 9.4 percent in January, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 9.1 percent in December. The rate was 9.6 percent in January 2012.

The rate rose because there were 793 more new claims for unemployment benefits in construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, health care and social assistance, and accommodations and food services. While the initial claims were up from December to January, they were down by 337, or 11.1 percent, from 3,031 in January 2012. The decline in claims led to an over-the-year drop in the area’s jobless rate.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.6 percent, while metro Dalton and the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 8.7 percent, unchanged from December. The rate was 9.3 percent in January a year ago.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us

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