News release, Sept. 23, 1999A

Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release
Georgia Department of
Labor
Suite 642 148 International Boulevard N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1751 (404)656-3032

September 23, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

METRO ALBANY'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

RISES SLIGHTLY TO 7.5 PERCENT FOR AUGUST

ATLANTA -- State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said today that while the unemployment rate in the metro Albany area rose slightly to 7.5 percent in August, it is down from 8.8 percent in August 1998. The area's jobless rate was 7.4 percent in July.

The rate rose because some people who worked in retail trade and manufacturing industries were temporarily laid off during the month, but were expected to return to their jobs.

"I am pleased that Albany's unemployment rate has declined significantly in the past year," Thurmond said. "The area continues to have low unemployment when compared with the previous year. But, as a result of low unemployment, many areas of the state, such as Albany, are experiencing severe shortages of skilled labor. The current labor shortages around the state have opened the doors to employment for thousands of 'non-traditional' workers, such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities, former welfare recipients, immigrants and rehabilitated exoffenders.

"All of these diverse groups are adding their skills and talents to a workforce that is straining to meet the ever-growing demand for qualified employees. And while some companies that move to Georgia may bring their own employees with them, an important part of our workforce development strategy is the upgrading of the skills and training of our 'indigenous workforce' -those who already live here."

Georgia's 3.9 percent unemployment rate in August was the lowest recorded for that month in 26 years. The state rate was down from 4.1 percent in July and 4.2 percent in August 1998.

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Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release

Labor market data are now available on the Georgia Department of Labor's web site at www.dol. state.ga.us

NEWS MEDIA NEEDING MORE INFORMATION MAY CALL (404) 656-3032.

E-mail: communications@dol.state.ga.us.

FY-00-136

Click here for labor force data and graphs in Adobe .PDF format. Requires Adobe Acrobat to read file. Download from http://www.adobe.com.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

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Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release
Georgia Department of Labor
Suite 642 148 International Boulevard N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1751 (404)656-3032
LABOR FORCE DATA and GRAPHS August, 1999
Statewide:
Labor Force Data by State, Regional Development Center (RDC), Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), Cities over 10,000 population and County.
Bar Graphs by Regional Development Centers (RDC):
Atlanta Regional Commission: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties.
Central Savannah River: Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington and Wilkes counties.
Chattahoochee - Flint: Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties.
Coastal Georgia: Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long and McIntosh counties.
Coosa Valley: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk and Walker counties.
Georgia Mountains: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties.
Heart of Georgia - Altamaha: Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Evans, Jeff Davis, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler and Wilcox counties.
Lower Chattahoochee: Chattahoochee, Clay, Harris, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart and
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Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release
Talbot counties. McIntosh Trail: Butts, Lamar, Pike, Spalding and Upson counties.
Middle Flint: Crisp, Dooly, Macon, Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor and Webster counties.
Middle Georgia: Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs and Wilkinson counties. North Georgia: Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties.
Northeast Georgia: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe and Walton counties. South Georgia: Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift and Turner counties. Southeast Georgia: Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Pierce and Ware counties.
Southwest Georgia: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas and Worth counties.
Bar Graphs by Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA): Albany MSA: Dougherty and Lee counties.
Athens MSA: Clarke, Madison and Oconee counties.
Atlanta MSA: Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton counties. Augusta - Aiken, GA - SC MSA: Columbia, McDuffie and Richmond counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. Columbus, GA - AL MSA: Chattahoochee, Harris and Muscogee counties in Georgia and Russell county in Alabama. Macon MSA: Bibb, Houston, Jones, Peach and Twiggs counties.
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Georgia Department of Labor - Press Release
Savannah MSA: Bryan, Chatham and Effingham counties. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (404) 656-3032
E-mail: communications@dol.state.ga.us.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
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