The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region in August was 6.6 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 7 percent in July. The rate in August 2015 was 7.6 percent.

The rate fell as employers laid off fewer workers. The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 640, or 38.3 percent, to 1,030 in August. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing and administrative and support services, which includes the temporary staffing agencies. Over the year, claims were down by 210, or 16.9 percent, from 1,240 in August 2015.

The labor force, which consists of employed people and those who are unemployed but actively looking for jobs, declined by 400 to 115,595 in August. The number of employed residents increased by 56 to 107,950, while the number of unemployed residents fell by 456 to 7,645.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 6.6 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for August was 4.9 percent, down from 5 percent in July. It was 5.6 percent in August 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In August, 898 new job openings in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 62,839 new job openings were posted.

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

DATA FOR THE METRO AREAS ARE ATTACHED, TABLES AND GRAPHS REFLECTING LABOR MARKET DATA ARE AVAILABLE AT http://dol.georgia.gov/current-labor-force-data-and-graphs