Politics & Government

Unemployment Inches Down

The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in northwest Georgia and metro Atlanta decreased in February.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said today the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the northwest Georgia declined to 10.8 percent in February, down five-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 11.3 percent in January. The jobless rate in the northwest Georgia area in February 2010 was also 11.3 percent.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted, and Bartow's remains at 11.6 percent.

The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the metro Atlanta decreased to 10.2 percent in February, down two-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 10.4 percent in January. The jobless rate in the metro Atlanta area in February 2010 was 10.7 percent.

That February rate decreased because there were 16,400 new jobs mostly in the service-related industries. construction and manufacturing.

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Unemployment rates decreased in 20 of the state’s 25 local areas, with five area rates remaining unchanged.  At 7.7 percent, metro Athens recorded the state’s lowest rate, while metro Dalton had the highest at 12.2 percent.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February was 10.2 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point, from a revised 10.3 percent in January. The state’s jobless rate was also 10.3 percent in February 2010.

February marked the 41st consecutive month that Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 8.9 percent.


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