Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that in July the Northeast Georgia region set records for labor force and employed residents.
 
At the same time, the 12-county area saw its unemployment rate tumble to the second among rate all 12 regional commissions in Georgia.
 
All indicators remain positive for the year.
 
“Georgia continues to be in a period of sustained growth,” Butler said. “There are no indicators in July that Georgia’s growth is going to slow down anytime soon.”
 
The July unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent, down 0.3 percent from the previous month and down from 4.8 percent one year ago.
 
The labor force increased in July by 618 to reach 312,056 total members – a new record. The number has climbed by more than 8,900 over the past year, an average of about 740 a month.   
 
Northeast Georgia region  added 1,453 new employed residents in July, pushing its total to an all-time high 300,445. That number has grown by more than 11,800 over the past year, or just under 1,000 per month.
 
Initial claims for unemployment grew by about 25 percent for the month but are down by about 15 percent for the year.