The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate for January was 5.7 percent, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 5.4 percent in December. The rate in January 2014 was 6.3 percent.

The rate increased as the metro area lost 1,700 jobs, many of which were temporary and part-time jobs related to the holiday season, and had an 18.3 percent increase in new claims for unemployment insurance benefits. 

The number of jobs in Metro Athens declined to 92,000, down from 93,700 in December. Most of the job loss came in retail trade, transportation, and warehousing, state government, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. 

Despite the monthly loss in mainly seasonal jobs, the metro area added 3,300 jobs, or 3.7 percent, up from 88,700 in January 2014. Most of the job gains came in state government, trade, transportation and warehousing, and leisure and hospitality.  

Also, there were 730 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in January, an increase of 113 from 617 in December. Most of the increase in claims came in manufacturing and retail trade. Over the year, claims were down by 17, or 2.3 percent, from 747 filed in January 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.3 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for January was 6.4 percent, down from 6.6 percent in December. It was 7.3 percent in January 2014. 

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov Connect with us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @GeorgiaDOL, which can be easily accessed via our website at www.gdol.ga.gov.