Georgia jobless rate stays flat in December

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Georgia Commissioner of Labor Bruce Thompson

ATLANTA — Georgia’s unemployment rate remained flat at 3% last month, Bruce Thompson, the state’s new commissioner of labor, reported Thursday.

However, the state set an all-time high for jobs, increasing almost 6,000 from November, while the jobless rate was five-tenths of a percent lower than the national unemployment rate.

Thompson, a Republican, was sworn into office last week, succeeding Mark Butler.

“As we begin our new administration, I am excited to see growth in nearly all [job] sectors such as education, health services, and manufacturing,” Thompson said Thursday. “I am committed to supporting employers across Georgia as they seek to hire.”

The sector with the most over-the-month job gains was manufacturing, which increased by 4,100 jobs in December. The accommodation and food services sector grew by 2,800 jobs, followed by professional, scientific, and technical services at 1,900. The health care and social assistance sector also rose by 1,900 jobs.

On the negative side, initial unemployment claims last month were up by 9% over November to 27,921. Over the year, first-time jobless claims were up by 65%.

In December, more than 108,000 jobs were listed online at EmployGeorgia.com. Market salaries for those jobs ranged from $23,000 to $99,500 per year, showing a median salary of $42,400.

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.