Unemployment falls in Georgia cities

ATLANTA - The state Department of Labor reports that the unemployment rate for July fell slightly in every metro area in Georgia. <br> <br> Metro Atlanta&#39;s jobless rate fell to 5.1 percent in July -- down from 5.4 percent in June. <br> <br> A year earlier -- in July 2001 -- Atlanta&#39;s unemployment rate was only 3.6 percent. <br> <br> State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said today the rate fell because of a seasonal reduction in the work force. In Albany, the rate fell sharply because food production workers returned to work after temporary layoffs. <br> <br> Here are the July unemployment rates for other Georgia metropolitan areas, compared with the unemployment rates for June: <br> <br> -- Albany, 5.4 percent, down from 6.3 percent. <br> <br> -- Athens, 3.1 percent, down from 3.2 percent. <br> <br> -- Augusta, 5.2 percent, down from 5.5 percent. <br> <br> -- Columbus, 5.2 percent, down from 5.6 percent. <br> <br> -- Macon, 4.2 percent, down from 4.6 percent. <br> <br> -- Savannah, 4.2 percent, down from 4.5 percent. <br> <br> The statewide unemployment rate for July, released last week, was 4.9 percent, down from 5.2 percent in June. The state&#39;s jobless rate in July 2001 was 4.3 percent.

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