Unemployment down in Georgia

ATLANTA - Georgia&#39;s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in July -- down from 5.2 percent in June. <br> <br> The state Labor Department said the state&#39;s jobless rate was 4.3 in July 2001. <br> <br> State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said the decline was good news, but added that ``it&#39;s primarily the result of seasonal factors.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Georgia&#39;s work force declines in July because fewer people are working in local school systems. Many school employees who don&#39;t have 12-month contracts, such as bus drivers and cafeteria workers, don&#39;t look for temporary summer jobs. <br> <br> The state&#39;s work force declined by nearly 12,000 -- while the number of jobs in Georgia dropped from June to July by 33,300 -- or less than one percent. <br> <br> The department did not release July unemployment rates for Georgia&#39;s metropolitan areas Thursday. Those figures will be released next week.