Georgia sees slight increase in unemployment claims in January

The Georgia Department of Labor on Thursday released regional employment numbers across the state for January, showing an increased in unemployment claims.

The news release noted that unemployment tends to increase from December to January due to seasonal trends. According to the national Bureau of Labor Statistics, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Georgia from January was 3.1%.

State Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson was optimistic.

“Despite a nationwide pandemic and challenging economic times, continued investments in Georgia’s labor force and thriving business community have kept our economy strong,” he noted in the release.

Central Savannah River Regional Commission

The unemployment rate was up 0.8% to 4.2% from December 2022, and roughly the same as the year prior when the unemployment rate was 4%. Initial unemployment claims were at 2,081, an increase of 872 from the year prior. Overall the labor force included a total of 205,720 people.

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Coastal Georgia Regional Commission

The unemployment rate went up 0.5% over December to 3.2% in January, slightly down from a rate of 3.5% the year prior. Initial unemployment claims were at 1,379, up 16% over the year prior, out of a workforce of 333,298.

Northeast Georgia Regional Commission

The unemployment rate was up 0.5% to 3.1% from December to January, the same as the unemployment was the year prior in January. Initial claims were up 21% over the year prior to 1,430. The labor force overall was at 315,676 — an all time high for the region.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Georgia released unemployment numbers for January - see your region