Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Northeast Georgia added to its labor force and employed residents in 2018.

At the same time, the unemployment rate fell by 0.6 percent.
 
“Last year was a strong one in terms of gains for the economy and jobs,” Butler said. “We saw new records set across the state. Our unemployment rate continued to trend downward. Jobs were created and more Georgians became employed.”
 
The unemployment rate for December, at 3.4 percent, was up 0.3 percent over the previous month. A year ago, the rate was 4.0 percent.
 
The labor force in Northeast Georgia fell by 1,393 in December to reach 309,149. That number is up by 6,014 over the past year, an average monthly increase of about 500.  
 
Northeast Georgia lost 2,552 employed residents in December, pushing the total to 298,516. The number is up 7,417 for the year, or about 620 per month.
 
Claims for unemployment insurance rose by 4 percent in December. They were up by less than 1 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.
 
The Northeast Georgia region includes Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.