Georgia unemployment near seven-year low in January

ATLANTA – Georgia’s jobless rate came in at 6.4 percent in January, its lowest percentage in nearly seven years.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 6.4 percent, the lowest level since July 2008 when it was 6.3 percent. The rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 6.6 percent in December.

The rate in January 2014 was 7.3 percent, nearly a percentage point higher.

“Our unemployment rate dropped for the seventh month in a row as we had 4,400 fewer jobs available than in December,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “We also had fewer new claims for unemployment insurance benefits, which is a measure of new layoffs.”

The number of seasonally-adjusted jobs in January declined 0.1 percent, to 4,222,100, down from 4,226,500 in December. Much of the loss was related to temporary holiday jobs, state officials said. Most of the job losses came in administrative and support services, including temporary employment agencies, 5,000; retail trade, transportation, and warehousing, along with construction, 2,800 each; and information services, 2,200. The job gains were in manufacturing, 3,900; wholesale trade, 3,400; finance and insurance, 2,700; and health care and social assistance, 1,900.

“But, while we lost those seasonal jobs in January, as often do, we had the strongest January-to-January growth we’ve had in 20 years,” said Butler. “And, six of our job sectors grew at least three percent.”

Over the year, the state gained a seasonally-adjusted 131,900 jobs, or 3.2 percent, from 4,090,200 in January 2014. Ninety-five percent of the job growth, or 125,800 jobs, was in the private sector. Most of the gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, 33,500; professional and business services, 24,900; leisure and hospitality, 22,300; education and health services, 17,600; and manufacturing, 13,100; and, financial activities, 7,000.

In the Albany Metropolitan Statistical Area (Dougherty, Lee, baker, Worth and Terrell counties), 400 jobs were added year to year, The 61,000 jobs in metro Albany in January was a 0.7 percent increase over the 60,600 in January 2014.

The biggest jobs gain was in the massive metro Atlanta area, which added 104,400 jobs, or 4.3 percent, to reach 2,531,600. MSAs in Dalton, Savannah and Brunswick all topped 5 percent year-to-year job growth in January.

Also, in January, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined to 57,194, down by 316, or 0.5 percent, from 57,510 in December. Most of the decrease came in accommodations and food services. And, claims were down by 897, or 1.5 percent, from 58,091 in January 2014. The over-the-year decline came in a wide range of industries, including trade, transportation and warehousing, accommodations and food services, and the construction industry.

Metro Albany had 40 fewer initial unemployment claims in January, 855, than it did in January 2014, down 4.5 percent. Savannah saw the biggest year-to-year decrease in IU claims, with a net improvement of 369, or 17.7 percent. Three metro areas — Valdosta, up 45 or 6.3 percent; Gainesville, 84 more, up 10 percent, and Dalton, up 473, 13.4 percent — saw year-to-year increased in IU claims.