Local & State Headlines

Unemployment hits high

• Metro Albany lost 500 jobs in state and local government last month.

Susan McCord

ALBANY — Unemployment in Georgia rose to a 15-year high of 6.2 percent last month and 600 in metro Albany lost jobs, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.

“Thousands of unemployed Georgians are pouring into our career centers,” Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said. “We ask for their patience and cooperation as we work together to overcome these unprecedented challenges.”

The state unemployment rate was an increase of .6 percent from July, and the highest recorded since March 1993. It’s also .5 percent higher than the U.S. average and surpasses the national rate for a sixth month.

The unemployment rate for metro Albany, not yet available for July, has risen steadily since April and was 6.2 percent in June.

The state lost 46,600 jobs from June to July, a decrease of 1.1 percent, bringing to 304,536 the number of unemployed Georgians currently looking for work.

The losses included jobs in manufacturing, construction, trade and services, and hardest-hit metro areas were Warner Robins and Augusta, which lost 1.7 percent of their payroll jobs.

In metro Albany, some 600 jobs were lost, a decrease of .9 percent from 64,400 to 63,800 jobs.

The losses included 200 jobs in state government, 300 jobs in local government and 200 in private services, while the metro Albany area added 100 goods-producing jobs, according to data from the labor department.