Woodstock Jobless Rate Jumps To 4.9 Percent

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WOODSTOCK, GA --The unemployment rates for Woodstock and Cherokee County increased in January, according to data released Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor.

GDOL states the city's unemployment rate rose to 4.9 percent, up four-tenths of a percentage point from 4.5 percent in December. Woodstock's jobless rate in January 2015 was 5.7 percent.

For Cherokee County, its jobless rate climbed to 4.2 percent, up two-tenths of a percentage point from 4 percent in December. The county's unemployment rate in January 2015 stood at 5 percent.

Jobless rates for surrounding cities include: Alpharetta at 3.9 percent; Johns Creek at 3.9 percent; Kennesaw at 4.3 percent; Marietta at 5 percent; Milton at 4.3 percent; Roswell at 3.9 percent; Sandy Springs at 4.2 percent; and Smyrna at 4.5 percent.

GDOL tracks unemployment data for cities that have a total population of 25,000 or more.

Unemployment rates for surrounding counties include: Bartow at 5.2 percent; Cobb at 4.6 percent; Dawson at 4.9 percent; Forsyth at 4.1 percent; Fulton at 5.4 percent; and Pickens at 4.9 percent.

The metro Atlanta unemployment rate also rose last month, climbing from 4.8 percent in December to 5.2 percent in January. The metro rate in January 2015 was 6.2 percent.

According to GDOL, the rate rose as the number of jobs decreased and the number of new layoffs, as measured by unemployment insurance claims, increased. Most of the job loss and increase in claims is due to seasonal hiring for temporary jobs and the layoffs that follow it, GDOL added.

The number of jobs decreased by 36,200, or 1.4 percent, to 2,607,600, from 2,643,800 in December. Most of the decrease came in trade, transportation and warehousing at 16,500; education and health services at 5,200; leisure and hospitality at 4,800; and professional and business services at 3,500. Accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping added 3,500 jobs.

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

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.

Please note that local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.

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