Georgia's Jobless Rate Jumps to 9.3 Percent in July

The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 9.3 percent in July, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 9.0 percent in June. The jobless rate was 10 percent in July a year ago.

“One of the main reasons for the increase in the unemployment rate was a large number of temporary layoffs in manufacturing,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, “but many of those people have already gone back to work.”

There were 56,540 first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in July, up 7,661, or 15.7 percent, from June, with temporary manufacturing layoffs accounting for most of the increase. However, initial claims declined over the year, dropping by 5,030, or 8.2 percent, from 61,570 in July 2011.

The state’s labor force increased by 7,731 new jobseekers to 4,765,132 in July, up from 4,757,401 in June. Georgia’s labor force has increased 14 of the past 15 months.

The number of jobs dropped by 17,900, or five-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,931,900 in June to 3,914,000 in July. There were 20,600 jobs lost among seasonal workers in the local public schools, but some of that loss was offset because the private sector added 5,600 jobs.

However, the number of jobs in July remained 50,600 more than the 3,863,400 in July 2011. The yearly growth was in professional and business services, 29,300; trade, transportation, and warehousing, 18,400; education and health care, 8,000; manufacturing, 3,600; and leisure and hospitality, 2,100.

The number of long-term unemployed workers decreased to 225,400 in July, down by 4,700 from 230,100 in June. And, the number of long-term unemployed is down by 25,700, or 10.2 percent, from 251,100 in July 2011. The long-term unemployed, those out of work for more than 26 weeks, make up 51 percent of those unemployed in Georgia.

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- The Georgia Department of Labor contributed to this report