The unemployment rates for both the Georgia Mountains and Northeast Georgia areas both decreased by one-tenth of a point between November and December of last year, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
In the latest numbers, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler reported the mountains area rate in December at 3.7 percent. The Northeast Georgia region rate for the month was four percent, according to a report released Thursday morning.
During 2017 as a whole, unemployment rates for both areas dropped by about a point each.
The mountains region ended the calendar year with 9,645 more employed residents and 7,444 more people in the workforce.
“This is a very good year for the Georgia Mountains area,” Butler said. “All of the major indicators trended in the right direction."
The Northeast Georgia region wrapped up 2017 with 11,986 more employed residents and 9,528 more people in the workforce.
Butler predicted more of the same for this year in both areas.
The mountains region includes Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties.
The Northeast Georgia region includes Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe and Walton counties.
Labor officials released Metro Gainesville numbers last week.
