Unemployment Rate in Georgia, Including Walton County, Rose in December

A press release from the Georgia Department of Labor reports that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Northeast Georgia region rose to 8.0 percent in December, up five-tenths of a percentage point from 7.5 percent in November. The rate was 8.7 percent in December 2011. Walton County is included in the Northeast Georgia region.

The rate rose because the number of unemployed people increased to 23,774, up by 1,264 from 22,510 in November. At the same time, the labor force declined by 1,720, as some people left the job market.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.6 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.6 percent in December, up one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.5 percent in November. The rate was 9.4 percent in December a year ago.

This was from a press release from the Georgia Department of Labor. Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us