Local Unemployment Numbers Drop Slightly in October

The unemployment rate in the Georgia Mountains region for October was 6.0 percent, down from 6.2 percent in September.

There a number of reasons for the drop in October, according to State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

“We saw more people become employed in the region,” Butler said. “That number increased by over a 1,000 people. But we also saw new claims for unemployment decrease by almost 4% last month. When you take a look at the over-the-year picture of initial claims, that number decreased by 14%.

The number of employed residents in the Mountains region rose by to 293,422, up from 292,413 in September.

There were 1,494 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in October, a decrease of 58, or 3.7 percent, from 1,552 in September.  Most of the decrease in claims came in manufacturing and retail trade, transportation and warehousing.

In Franklin County, the unemployment rate for October stood at 7.5% – down from 7.6% in September.  Franklin County’s total work force in October was 9,851 – Of that, 735 workers were on unemployment.

In Hart County, the unemployment rate in October was 8.4% – up slightly from 8.3% in September.  Hart County’s total labor force in October was 9,803 – Of that, 820 workers were receiving unemployment benefits.