Local Unemployment Rates Drop Slightly in February

The unemployment rate in the Georgia Mountains region has gone down another notch to 6.1 percent in February.

That’s  down from 6.3 percent in January.  The rate was 7.6 percent in February a year ago.

Labor Department officials say the rate dropped because there were fewer new layoffs and fewer initial claims for unemployment insurance.  Most of the decline in claims came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, and trade, transportation and warehousing.

Locally in Franklin County, the unemployment rate for February held steady from January at 8.3%.   In February, the State Labor Department listed the number of Franklin County’s labor force at 9,476.  Of that, 785 workers were collecting unemployment benefits.

In Hart County, some slightly better news.  The unemployment rate in Hart County in February dropped slightly to 8.6% from 8.9% in January.  Hart County’s total labor force in February stood at 9,456.  Of that, 811 workers were on unemployment.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate took another step downward in February to 7.1 percent from 7.3 percent in January.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said job gains came in several areas, but most of the growth was seen in construction, which means the economy is growing.

The number of jobs in Georgia overall increased by just over 6-thousand from 4-thousand in January.