The Georgia Mountains region set two all-time records in November, according to a jobs report released Thursday morning by State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.
The 13-county region set an all-time high for employment while the unemployment rate fell to a record low, according to preliminary numbers. At the same time, unemployment claims inched up slightly.
The region encompasses Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties.
In the region, the November unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 2.3 percent. That’s the lowest rate recorded among the 12 regions. It was 2.9 percent one year ago. Rates fell across all of Georgia’s 12 regions. Eleven set a record for the lowest rate ever.
Butler said the labor force decreased in November by 601 to reach 352,323 total members. The number has climbed by 2,209 over the past 12 months, however.
The Georgia Mountains region added 533 employed residents in November, bringing its total to 344,199. That number has grown by 4,137 over the past year.
Initial claims for unemployment went up by about 22 percent in November. They are down by about 2 percent when compared to last November.
Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 2,327 active job postings in the Georgia Mountains region for November.
