A new report from the State Labor Department showed the unemployment rate rose in both Gainesville and the Northeast Georgia area from December of 2022 to January of this year.
The report, released early Thursday morning, showed the unemployment rate in Gainesville rose from 2.2 percent in December to 2.7 percent in January. The rate in the Georgia Mountain Regional Commission, which covers most of the rest of the region, went up from 2.4 percent to 3.0 percent.
However, those unemployment rates were lower than what was seen over the same month the year before.
The numbers largely mirrored what was seen across the rest of the state. Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said the trend was not unexpected, as he said the rate typically rises in the first months of each calendar year.
“Despite a nationwide pandemic and challenging economic times, continued investments in Georgia’s labor force and thriving business community have kept our economy strong,” Thompson said. “As labor commissioner, it is my No. 1 priority to help more Georgians get back to work and fill the jobs that our businesses need.”
The number of jobs in Gainesville saw a decline over the month. The number of jobs in the city in January was 102,900, down by 600 from December.
Total unemployment insurance claims rose in every regional commission in Georgia in January.
