Jobless Rates Fall in Bartow County, Metro Atlanta

By Scott Bernarde

The jobless rates in metro Atlanta and Bartow County fell slightly in February, the Georgia Department of Labor said Thursday.

Metro Atlanta’s rate was 6.1 percent in February, down from 6.2 percent in January. Bartow’s drop was slightly more significant, falling from 6.5 percent in January to 6.2 in February. 

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The rates in January 2014 were 7.7 percent in Bartow County, and 7.1 in the metro. Rates for surrounding counties include: Cherokee at 4.9 percent; Cobb at 5.4 percent; Floyd at 6.9 percent; Gordon at 6.3 percent; Pickens at 5.7 percent; and Polk at 7.1 percent.

The rate declined in metro Atlanta, as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers, GDOL said.

The number of jobs in Atlanta increased by 12,200, or 0.5 percent, in February to 2,541,000 from 2,528,800 in January. Most of the job gain came in professional and business services, 4,700; construction, 3,000; education and health services, 2,900; government, 2,800; and leisure and hospitality, 1,600.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.1 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for February was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent in January. It was 7.3 percent in February 2014.

Note: Local area unemployment data and jobs are not seasonally adjusted.

Photo credit: Patch file