Athens jobless rate down in August

The state Labor Department says the Athens unemployment rate dropped to 4.7 percent in August, down from 5 percent in July.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says the August unemployment rate was just 4.7 percent, unemployment claims fell and job growth continued to climb.

“The August numbers show metro Athens’ economy and outlook for employment remains healthy,” said Butler.

The August unemployment rate was down from 5 percent in July. A decline of 849 in the labor force contributed to the decline in the monthly rate which can be attributed to school age workers returning to their educational institutions. The August rate compares favorably to last August when the rate was 5.5 percent.

From July to August, jobs in metro Athens were up by 100, or 0.1 percent, from 96,100 to 96,200.

The increase came in local government, mostly in the public schools.

Since August 2016, metro Athens has gained 1,600 jobs, a 1.7 percent growth rate, with most of the increase in state government.

There were 2,954 more metro Athens residents employed than in August 2016.

“Georgia continues to be one of the leaders in job creation and employment,” Butler said. “It's great to see our employers continue to create jobs, and Georgians going back to work.”

Unemployment claims were down by 179, or 34.3 percent, to 343 – another good sign for the Athens economy. Claims were down in manufacturing. Compared with last August, claims were down by 18.3 percent.