ICYMI: Cobb, Smyrna Unemployment Rates Down in August

A record low number of Smyrna and Cobb County residents were out of work in August, mirroring a statewide unemployment rate that hasn’t been this low in seven years, data released from the Georgia Department of Labor on Thursday shows.

Smyrna’s unemployment rate between July and August dropped from 5.2 to 4.8 percent, according to preliminary unemployment figures for August. There were 32,346 people in Smyrna’s workforce in August, compared to 32,690 in July. Furthermore, only 1,566 Smyrnans were unemployed in July, compared to 1,693 in July. In August of 2014, Smyrna’s unemployment rate was 6.4 percent.

• Looking for a job? Visit Smyrna-Vinings Patch’s Jobs Board to find the latest openings.

In Cobb County, the unemployment rate dropped from 5.4 to 5.1 percent between July and August, the figures show. Some 19,913 Cobb residents were out of work in August, compared to 21,652 in July. Additionally, the workforce shrank by approximately 4,000, further decreasing the jobless rate. In August of 2014, the unemployment rate in Cobb County was 6.6 percent.

The statewide unemployment rate of 5.9 percent in August was one-tenth of a percentage point down from July and 1.2 lower than a year ago.

“This is the first time Georgia’s unemployment rate has dropped below six percent since May 2008,” State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in a news release. “The rate declined as our employers laid off the fewest workers for any month in more than 15 years and continued to create jobs.”

The labor department said the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance in Georgia fell 25.8 percent in August, and 15.4 percent in the past year. Meanwhile, the number of jobs in Georgia has grown by 2 percent.

Butler encourages job seekers to utilize the GDOL’s new job listing service, EmployGeorgia, where employers posted 75,207 jobs throughout the state in August. Visit www.employgeorgia.com to learn more.