Unemployment Declines for Seventh Straight Month in Georgia

The Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined for the seventh straight month in February putting the unemployment rate at 9.1 percent

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that 15,600 jobs were created last month; 70 percent of those from the private sector.

“Lots of unemployed Georgians went back to work, and fewer people were laid off,” he said. “After back-to-back quarters of declining unemployment and continued job creation, it looks like Georgia’s businesses are trending toward a comeback.”

The Georgia Department of Labor also released revised data showing that the state gained 41,800 jobs in the past 12 months including 28,000 jobs in business and professional services, 12,700 in retail trade, 8,300 in education and health care and 4,200 in manufacturing.

Also noteworthy was February’s decline in first-time unemployment insurance claims. The Georgia Department of Labor reported that the number of claims fell from 77,756 in January to 46,326 in February; a difference of more than 40 percent. Also the number of long-term unemployed workers decreased to 241,700 from January to February, the fewest number since October 2010.

Do you think the lower unemployment rate means Georgia has made its way through the economic slump? Have you noticed other signs of economic improvement? Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments.