Unemployment rate rises to 6 percent in January

The Georgia Department of Labor announced that the unemployment rate in the Three Rivers region in January was 6 percent, up seven-tenths of a percentage point from 5.3 percent in December. The rate in January 2015 was 7.2 percent.

The rate rose as the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 2,424, or 94.5 percent, to 4,988 in January. Most of the increase came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, trade, accommodations and food services, along with construction. Also, over the year, claims were up by 171, or 3.5 percent, from 4,817 in January 2015.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.5 percent, while Metro Dalton had the highest at 7.2 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for January was 5.4 percent, down from 5.5 percent in December. It was 6.3 percent in January 2015.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.