Georgia loses 89,000 jobs in 2001

By

Posted 7:23AM on Thursday, January 17, 2002

ATLANTA - Georgia lost 89,000 jobs in 2001 the first net loss in 10 years - the state Department of Labor said Thursday. The state's unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent in December, up from 4.1 percent in November and 3 percent in December 2000, the department said. Atlanta lost the bulk of the jobs last year, 60,000. The last time the state suffered a net job loss was in 1991, when the number declined by 38,800. In 2001, 53,000 jobs were lost in trades and services, 26,000 in manufacturing and 10,000 in construction. Jobs in agriculture and related services were not included in the report. ``The latest jobs report is another indicator that our economy has not yet turned the corner,'' Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said. Thurmond said Congress should pass an economic stimulus package including an extension of unemployment benefits, assistance for health insurance and targeted tax cuts that will increase capital spending and create jobs. More than 72,000 of the unemployed workers in Georgia have exhausted their benefits, Thurmond said. The commissioner said that because Georgia's job losses were spread over the different categories, the state is better prepared to emerge from the recession. ``When you cushion the blow, it spread out across the area of impact,'' Thurmond said. ``No one sector is heavily damaged. ``We basically have a positive business environment, low taxation, available work force, good transportation system. All the things that helped us become a national leader in the '90s will continue to pay dividends in the early part of the new century,'' he said. The job changes in the state's metropolitan areas from December 2000 to December 2001 were: Albany, jobs up by 400, 0.7 percent, from 59,600 to 60,000. Athens, down by 1,300, 1.7 percent, from 75,100 to 73,800. Atlanta, down by 60,400, 2.7 percent, from 2,239,200 to 2,178,800. Augusta, down by 2,800, 1.4 percent, from 206,100 to 203,300. Columbus, down by 1,900, 1.5 percent, from 123,000 to 121,100. Macon, down by 700, 0.5 percent, from 152,400 to 151,700. Savannah, down by 4,100, 2.9 percent, from 140,400 to 136,300.