Walton County's Unemployment Rate Drops One Percent from July to August

Walton County’s preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate for the month of August was lower than both the national and Georgia rates, according to data released by the Georgia Department of Labor.

The rate was 7.2 percent, down an entire percentage point from a revised rate of 8.2 percent in July.

Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in August, while the national rate was 7.3 percent.

Metro Athens’ unemployment rate decreased to 6.1 percent in August, down eight-tenths of a percentage point from 6.9 percent in July. The rate was 6.8 percent in August a year ago.

The rate dropped because there was a significant reduction in layoffs and an increase in the number of jobs, according to a news release from the GDOL.

Out of Walton's labor force of 37,890, 2,927 were jobless in August.

As for some of Walton's neighboring counties, the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate for Clarke in August was 6.6 percent,  down from 7.3 percent in July.  Barrow posted a rate of 7.2 percent, a change from 7.8 percent in July.   Oconee’s rate was the lowest in the state at 4.9 percent.

The county with the highest rate was Telfair County at 20.8 percent.