Georgia’s jobless rate fell slightly to just below double-digits—9.9 percent in July, down a tenth of a point. But Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says negative factors overshadow that news.

“Georgia’s job market continued to deteriorate for the second consecutive month,” says Thurmond. “Although the unemployment rate remained virtually unchanged, a growing number of discouraged workers dropped out of the workforce. For the second consecutive month, the number of jobs in our state declined, new layoffs increased, and long-term unemployment continued to rise.”

Coupled with the increase of 19,026 discouraged workers in June, Georgia’s labor force has deteriorated by more than 40,000 during the past two months. This is the first time since 2001 that Georgia has experienced significant reductions in the labor force for two consecutive months.

Tags: Georgia, unemployment, jobless rate, Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, job market, labor force