ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Northeast Georgia region declined to 7.6 percent in October, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 7.7 percent in September. The rate was 9.1 percent in October 2011.
The rate declined because there were 2,666 more people employed in the Northeast Georgia region. There were 276,523 employed people in October, up from 273,857 in September, and by 9,340 from 267,183 in October 2011.
Metro Athens continued to have the lowest area jobless rate at 6.2 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.3 percent.
Metro Gainesville's rate was 6.6 percent, down from the September rate of 6.7 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 8.7 percent in October, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 9.0 percent in September. The jobless rate was 9.7 percent in October a year ago.
Statewide, there were 3,971,700 jobs in October, up 36,000, or nine-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,935,700 in September. Over the year, Georgia gained 68,000 jobs, or 1.7 percent, from 3,903,700 in October 2011.
