Jobless rate rises in Coweta, Fayette

What had been an improving picture for unemployment in Coweta and Fayette counties during much of 2012 took a turn for the worse in January as the jobless rate in Coweta jumped a full percentage point while edging up one-third of a point in Fayette.

In Fayette County, the 7.3 percent unemployment rate in December rose to 7.6 percent in January. Both figures are a substantial improvement over the 8.4 percent jobless rate in January 2012. The current numbers for Fayette represent 4,122 people out of work in a workforce that totals 54,022 people.

Coweta County’s 7.8 percent jobless rate in December rose to 8.8 percent in January, representing 5,729 people out of work in a workforce of 65,329. The January figures are only slightly better than the 8.9 percent rate a year ago.

Newnan took the biggest hit in January with an unemployment rate that was reported at 10.3 percent by the Ga. Dept. of Labor. That compares to a 8.8 percent rate in December and a 9.9 percent rate in January 2012.

Peachtree City also took a hit in January as the jobless rate rose to 7 percent. That compares to a 6.6 percent rate in December and a 7.4 percent rate a year ago.

The 10-county Three Rivers Regional Commission area saw a jump in the jobless rate in January when the 9.2 percent rate in December turned into a large increase to 10.8 percent in January. That figure compares to the 10.5 percent rate in January 2012.

And in the 10-county Atlanta Regional Commission area, January came with a small increase to 8.6 percent over the 8.4 percent rate in December. The rate in January was 9.3 percent.