Gainesville continues to lead state in jobs creation

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville continues to lead the state when it comes to jobs creation, according to the latest report from the state Labor Department.

The agency says that between September 2011 and last month, metro Gainesville added 3,200 jobs, a 4.3 percent increase. In recent months, Gainesville has been at or near the top in Georgia in the creation of new jobs. In May, for instance, AccessNorthGa.com reported that the area added 4,300 new jobs. In February 2011, the number was 1,700. (See earlier stories.) Right behind metro Gainesville in the latest report is Athens, where 2,600 new jobs were created, a 3.1 percent increase for the 12-month period.

At the other end of the spectrum are Dalton and Columbus. Dalton lost 2,900 jobs - a 4.5 percent decrease - and Columbus lost 1,600, a 1.3 percent decline. Metro Augusta also lost jobs between September 2011 and last month. Dalton, Columbus and Augusta were the ones of the 14 metropolitan areas in the state showing job losses instead of gains during the period.