Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Athens-Clarke County continues to keep positive numbers for major indicators such as labor force, job creation and the number of employed residents, according to a Georgia Department of Labor press release.
While annual numbers for these categories are up, monthly numbers stay down for the four counties in the metropolitan statistical area, which are Clarke, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties.
“Georgia had a very good year economically speaking in 2018,” Butler said in a press release. “As I look back over the year, our state added to its workforce, employed more residents and increased jobs. Many of our local communities set records.”
The unemployment rate for December, at 3.4 percent, was up 0.4 percent over the previous month. A year ago, the rate was 3.9 percent.
The labor force in ACC fell by 1,988 in December to reach 103,672. That number is up by 2,701 over the past year – an average monthly increase of 225.
ACC lost 2,353 employed residents in December, pushing the total to 100,137. The number is up 3,150 for the year, or about 265 per month.
Jobs fell by 2,100 in December to 101,200. The job total in ACC is up 3,800 over the year – an average monthly increase of almost 315.
Claims for unemployment insurance increased by 25 percent in December. They were up by 10 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.
Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service, showed 903 active job postings in metro Athens-Clarke County for December.
Visit the GDOL website to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers.
