Georgia unemployment rate drops again in January

ATLANTA — Georgia’s unemployment rate fell for the 21st consecutive month in January to 3.2%, down slightly from the 3.3% jobless rate posted in December.

At the same time, the number of jobs in the Peach State climbed to an all-time high of almost 4.7 million, while the number of employed Georgians rose to more than 5 million.

“I am not surprised that our unemployment rate dropped again in January,” state Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said. “However, with the number of jobs at an all-time high, we must be careful to not lose focus on supporting our work force and getting qualified workers into the right careers.”

On the negative side, initial unemployment claims in January were up 11,335 from December to 28,257. However, compared to January of last year, jobless claims declined by 102,169, or 78%.

More than 240,000 job opportunities are listed online at EmployGeorgia.com, resulting in a minimum of more than 325,000 unfilled positions.

The health-care industry posted the most openings with 41,000, followed by retail trade with 23,000, manufacturing with 20,000 and accommodation and food services with 19,000.

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.