The state Department of Labor says the jobless rate rose by one-tenth of a point in October, and the seasonally adjusted rate now matches the national average.
Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says the state's unemployment rate was 6.9 percent a year ago, and the state's labor force decreased by about 139,000 while the number of payroll jobs fell by more than 200,000.
The state Labor Department also says Georgia lost 227,000 between October 2008 and last month... led by Dalton, Atlanta, MAcon and Gainesville.
An 8.1 percent drop in Dalton (5,900 jobs lost), 5.7 percent in Atlanta (138,300 jobs lost), 5.2 in Macon (5,300) and a 4.9 percent decrease (3,800) in the number of jobs in Gainesville.
Athens was impacted the least... losing only a 1,000 jobs during the 12-month period.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/11/224857