July Jobless Rate Climbs in Cherokee County

By Scott Bernarde

The unemployment rate rose slightly in July in many places in metro Atlanta, including Cherokee County, according to state labor department data released Thursday.

Still, rates were far better than a year ago, the Georgia Department of Labor said in a news release.

Cherokee County’s rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point, rising from 5 percent in June to 5.1 in July. The rate in July 2014 was 6.4 percent.

Jobless rates for surrounding counties include Bartow at 6.3 percent; Cobb at 5.5 percent; Dawson at 5.5 percent; Forsyth at 4.9 percent; Fulton at 6.4 percent; and Pickens at 5.7 percent.

• Find a job on the Canton-Sixes Patch Jobs Board.

The metro rate was up one-tenth to 6.1 percent last month. The rate was 7.6 at the same time last year.

The labor department said the rate rose as more job seekers entered the labor force looking for work. Despite an increase in new jobs, some were unable to find work and were counted among the unemployed, which, along with an increase in new layoffs, contributed to the rate increase, GDOL stipulates.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.5 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for July was 6.0 percent, down from 6.1 percent in June. It was 7.2 percent in July 2014.

Note: Local area unemployment data is not seasonally adjusted.

Scroll through the attachment below for more unemployment info:

July 2015 GA Area Unemployment Rates