The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that the unemployment rate in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region in January was 7.2 percent, up six-tenths of a percentage point from 6.6 percent in December. In January 2016, the rate was 6.9 percent.

The rate rose as the labor force grew and the number of new layoffs increased.

The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs, grew by 1,159 to 118,250. The number of unemployed residents rose by 701 to 8,464, while the number of employed residents increased by 458 to 109,786. Over the year, the number of people in the labor force increased by 1,047, as the number of employed grew by 716 and the number of unemployed increased by 331.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, rose by 28, or 1.4 percent, to 2,035. Most of the increase came in manufacturing. However, over the year, claims were down by 91, or 4.3 percent, from 2,126 in January 2016.

Metro Gainesville and the Georgia Mountains region had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.8 percent, while the Three Rivers region had the highest at 7.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for January was 5.5 percent, unchanged from 5.5 percent in December. It was 5.6 percent in January 2016.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In January, 686 new job openings in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 64,018 new job openings were posted.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally-adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov

Visit dol.georgia.gov to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers and to connect with us on social media.