The unemployment rate in northeast Georgia declined in December, according to data released by the Georgia Department of Labor, which also reports that the metro Gainesville rate is the lowest in the region.
GDOL says the rate in northeast Georgia was 4.9 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 5 percent in November. In December 2015, the rate was 4.8 percent. The Heart of Georgia-Altamaha and River Valley regions had the highest at 6.6 percent. The rate dropped as the number of unemployed residents, labor force and new layoffs all declined, according to the report.
There were 179 fewer unemployed residents and the labor force declined by 216 to 295,934. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs.
Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.2 percent, up from November's 4.1 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for December was 5.4 percent, up from 5.3 percent in November. It was 5.5 percent in December 2015.
Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In December, 2,276 new job openings in Northeast Georgia were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 57,920 new job openings were posted.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/1/494810/ne-ga-jobless-rate-down-in-december-gainesville-rate-lowest-in-the-region