ATLANTA – Georgia’s unemployment rate held steady last month at 3.7%, four-tenths of a point lower than the national jobless rate, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.
The number of jobs rose by 9,900 in December to a record-high 4,994,900, just short of the 5 million mark.
“Georgia is just 5,100 jobs away from making history,” said Louis DeBroux, the state’s interim labor commissioner. “This historic milestone is undeniable proof of the strength of our economy.”
Job sectors with the most month-over-month gains included health care and social assistance, which created 5,500 more jobs; information – which includes the motion picture and sound recording industries – with a gain of 3,300 jobs; and retail trade, which gained 2,900 jobs.
On the down side, jobs in durable goods manufacturing fell by 1,800 last month; followed by the local government sector, which lost 1,500 jobs; and non-durable goods manufacturing, which was down by 1,400 jobs in December.
Georgia’s labor force declined last month for the first time in 12 months, falling by 4,875 jobs to 5.4 million.
The number of employed Georgians also fell by 4,973 to 5.2 million, while the number of unemployed increased by 108 to 198,492.
Initial jobless claims rose by 11,727 in December to 31,046.