The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in November was 5.6 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 5.7 percent in October. The rate was 6.7 percent in November 2014.

“Our employers created 3,700 jobs in November, which helped push the unemployment rate down to its lowest point since March 2008,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. 

The number of jobs increased to 4,309,100, or 0.1 percent, from 4,305,400 in October. Much of the job growth came in professional and business services, 2,300; construction, 2,100; education and health services, 1,800; leisure and hospitality, 1,700; and manufacturing, 1,400. These gains were somewhat offset by losses in information services, government, financial activities, and trade, transportation and warehousing. 

“Over the year, we added 92,900 jobs, which is a respectable 2.2 percent growth rate,” said Butler. “Georgia continues to grow jobs faster than the nation, which has a 1.9 percent growth rate.”

Most of the over-the-year job growth came in trade, transportation and warehousing, 22,100; professional and business services, 21,200; education and health services, 16,900; leisure and hospitality, 15,800; government, 7,000; manufacturing, 6,000; and construction and financial activities, 4,400 each.  

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, rose by 4,144, or 14 percent, to 33,773 in November. Most of the rise was due to an increase in temporary claims filed in manufacturing, especially in textiles and machinery.   

Over the year, the number of claims was up by 5,308, or 18.6 percent, from 28,465 filed in November 2014. The increase came mostly in manufacturing and construction. 

In November, the state’s labor force increased by 14,236 to 4,750,020.

Butler encouraged job seekers to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, EmployGeorgia.com, where 65,846 jobs throughout the state were posted in November.