According to Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, Athens recorded an unemployment rate of 2.9 percent in October, up six-tenths from September and one-tenth from a year ago. Despite that mild uptick, Athens finished the month of October with an all-time high of 104,600 jobs, about 1,200 higher than the number in September.
The number of unemployment claims also went down 27 percent this month as the labor force remains fairly steady at 101,521 employed residents, having increased by 199 over the month. Commissioner Butler noted that “job seekers have continued to experience a favorable hiring environment across multiple job sectors” in the state of Georgia, especially as more employment opportunities are made available as holiday hiring approaches its peak.
Employ Georgia, the Georgia Department of Labor’s online job listing service, hosted about 2,955 active job postings in Athens on its site employgeorgia.com.