The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate in December was 4.8 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 5.1 percent in November. In December 2015, the rate was 4.7 percent.

The rate dropped as the number of unemployed residents, labor force and new layoffs all declined.

There were 351 fewer unemployed residents and the labor force declined by 1,152 to 99,148. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 311, or 41.9 percent, to 431 in December. Most of the decrease came in wholesale trade and administrative and support services. Over the year, claims were down by 150, or 25.8 percent, from 581 in December 2015.

The number of jobs decreased by 1,400, or 1.4 percent, to 96,100. Most of the job losses came in the service industries, such as trade, transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality, along with state government.

However, over the year, 1,900 jobs were added, a 2 percent growth rate, up from 94,200 in December 2015. Most of the job growth came in state government, along with professional and business services and leisure and hospitality.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha and River Valley regions had the highest at 6.6 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for December was 5.4 percent, up from 5.3 percent in November. It was 5.5 percent in December 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In December, 1,013 new job openings in Athens were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 57,920 new job openings were posted.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov