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December Unemployment Claims Down in Athens

Unemployment claims decreased in Athens during the month of December, according to the latest numbers from the Georgia Department of Labor. Commissioner Mark Butler says preliminary data shows all critical indicators remained positive of the year for the four-county metropolitan statistical area, or MSA.

“When you take a look at that low unemployment rate and also take a look at the fact that we’re continuing to see fewer claims for unemployment benefits, especially when you consider the fact in the Athens area, there are a lot of manufacturing and a good bit of construction,” Butler said. “So when you actually see the claims actually decrease over the month, it kind of shows you the strength of those sectors. They’re so busy that we’re not seeing the temporary layoffs that we see in some other areas.”

Athens ended December with 101,300 jobs

The four-county MSA includes Clarke, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties.

While the unemployment rate for December did increase one-tenth a percentage point in the Classic City, to 2.5 percent, Butler says that’s due in part, to Athens distinctive population.

“During December a lot of students go home. You’ll see a lot of jobs kind of decrease due to the fact that the student population goes down. So that has a really big effect on the job market in the Athens area. We’ll probably see these numbers reverse themselves when we start seeing the January numbers roll in."

Butler urges both, job seekers and those looking to fill jobs, to visit the department’s online job listing service EmployGeorgia.com.

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