Dimensions: measuring Georgia's workforce, Vol. 27, no. 3 (Mar. 2001)

March 2001 Data
Highlights
Non-metro areas marshal nearly 40 percent of March job growth ..... page 2
Georgia's non-metro areas boost nonfarm employment by contributing 8,900 new jobs in March.
Unemployment rate up for third straight month in March ......... page 10
Despite the increase, Georgia continues to post historically low jobless rates. In March, Atlanta and Savannah had the lowest rates of all metro areas.
Spotlight: Service Delivery Region Three ...................... Page 12
Growth with a capital "G" in the heart of the Atlanta megapolis...discover the why's and wherefore's of this phenomenon.
New Developments................. Page 18
Monthly claims activity slows as yearly activity grows. ..................... page 21
Initial claims for March declined 8.6 percent over the month, but grew 72.1 percent over the year.
WI&A Customer Satisfaction Team .................. page 23

Volume XXVII, Number 3
Data Tables
4 Georgia Nonagricultural Employment
5 Georgia Hours and Earnings
6 Atlanta Nonagricultural Employment
7 Albany & Athens Nonagricultural Employment
8 Augusta-Aiken & Columbus Nonagricultural Employment
9 Macon & Savannah Nonagricultural Employment
11 Georgia, Metro Areas & U.S. Labor Force Estimates
14 Georgia Labor Force Estimates by County
19 Georgia Unemployment Rates by County
20 Georgia Unemployment Insurance Claims by County
Michael L. Thurmond, Commissioner Georgia Department of Labor
Workforce Information & Analysis 148 Andrew Young International Boulevard, NE
Courtland Building, Suite 300 Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1751
(404) 656-3177 Fax (404) 651-9568 Workforce.Info@dol.state.ga.us
Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary Aids and Services Available upon
Request to Individuals with Disabilities

Dimensions - Measuring Georgia's Workforce

Non-metro areas marshal nearly 40 percent of March job growth

Georgia's nonagricultural employment increased 22,700 in March bringing the number of non-farm workers in the state to 4,038,400. Over the year, non-farm employment has gained 66,800 workers and is adding jobs at a rate of 1.7 percent. All areas of Georgia shared in the March employment gain, but only Augusta and Macon stretched beyond last year's monthly increases. Over the year only Albany, Athens and Columbus exceeded the previous year's growth. Not surprisingly, Atlanta added the most jobs over the month, picking up 10,300, but the other metropolitan areas combined to contribute 3,500 workers to the state's payrolls. The largest percent increases occurred in Macon and Albany, each reporting a near one-percent growth over the month. Atlanta and Augusta grew at about half that rate while Athens, Columbus and Savannah grew by 0.2 percent or less. Most noteworthy, perhaps, are the 8,900 jobs that were added outside the metropolitan areas in the balance of the state.
The construction division posted a loss of 500 jobs over the month spread throughout each of the component construction industries. Remarkably, this month marks the first March in which an expansion has not occurred in the construction division since 1975. Interestingly, Albany was the only metropolitan area to add construction jobs in March, expanding by 100 workers. Atlanta led the slump with a loss of 900 construction jobs followed by Augusta and Columbus each losing one hundred. All other metro areas were unchanged. So it appears that the metropolitan areas lost a net one thousand construction jobs in March, yet this was offset by a gain of about 500 workers in construction jobs in Georgia's non-metro areas, resulting in an overall decline of 500. This adds even more support to the notion that the intensifying frustrations associated with urban sprawl are beginning to push Georgia's growth out to the more rural areas.
Employment in the manufacturing division contracted by 2,500 in March, with the largest decline occurring in nondurable goods. Manufacturing jobs have shrunk by 16,000 over the year in Georgia, about a 2.7 percent contraction. This is only slightly higher than the national
2

Thousands
4100

Georgia's non-farm employment begins to recoup early losses

4000

3900

3800 J F MA MJ J A S O N D J F M

Percent growth 1.4%
1.2%

March over-the-month trends
Mar-00

Mar-01

1.0%

0.8%

0.6%

0.4%

0.2%

0.0% GA

Albany Athens Atlanta Augusta Columbus Macon Savannah

Unravelling of Georgia's textile industry

Mills

(1985 -- 2001)

Workers

760

115

740

Textile mills

Textile workers

720

110

700

680

105

660

640

100

620

600

95

580

560

90

85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01

shrinkage rate of 2.4 percent over the year (439,000 jobs). The largest swing in manufacturing occurred in textile mills that lost 1,200 jobs in March and have tightened by 2.8 percent over the year. This month also marks the first time since 1985 that textile mill employment has fallen below 100,000. Indeed, since the industry all-time peak in

Dimensions - Measuring Georgia's Workforce

March 1995, Georgia has relinquished nearly 100 textile mills and the industry a s a whole has cast off 14,700 workers. Georgia is not unlike the rest of the nation in this respect in that the U.S. has suffered nearly a 25 percent reduction in textile mill jobs over the last six years. Considering that approximately 71 percent of all textile workers are employed in the eight states in the Southeast region, a proportion that has held steady since 1969, it is not surprising that in the Southeast, job losses in textile manufacturing accounted for one-fourth of the regional decline in total manufacturing jobs over the fourth quarter of 2000 and a slightly greater percentage of manufacturing job loss over the year. Incidentally, manufacturing was the only major industry division in the southeast to lose jobs over the year in 2000, declining 1.4 percent (-51,400).
In durable goods, the only industries to gain employment in March were transportation equipment manufacturing and other durable goods, which added 200 and 100 jobs respectively. Similarly, among the nondurable goods industries, apparel manufacturers were the only firms adding workers tacking on a paltry 100 new jobs in March. Over the year the greatest losses have occurred in lumber and wood products (-9.8%), apparel (-4.8%), paper (-3.8%) and transportation equipment (-3.7%). In fact, only `other durable goods' (which includes instruments and other miscellaneous durable products) and `chemicals and allied products' have actually picked up employment over the year, but adding only 1.7 and 1.3 percent respectively.
Employment in the transportation, communications and public utilities division gained only 400 jobs during the month. A small increase in air transportation (+300) and a gain of 700 in communications were partially offset by a slump in trucking and warehousing (-600) and other transportation (-100), while utilities employment remained stable over the month. Thanks to over-the-year increases in air transportation (+2,600) and telephone communications (+2,400) the division has swelled 2.5 percent to roughly 272,600 workers. Public utilities firms have actually shed about 200 jobs over the year.
The March gain in trade was the largest of any division. Wholesale trade increased 300 jobs and retail added a whopping 11,000. Eating and drinking places accounted for 62.7 percent of the total retail job increase this month, which echoes trends in recent years. In addition, department stores were up 3,800 over the month due in part to a new retail chain opening in the state. After several months of steady growth and then stalling in February, food stores took a dip this month losing about two thousand workers. This may be due at least in part to the growing popularity of online grocery ordering and the automation of the check-out process in many stores reducing the demand for cashiers and clerks.
Finance, insurance and real estate gained 700 jobs this month, primarily in insurance and real estate. Within the finance sector, small gains in nondepository institutions and brokers (+100) as well as in holding and investment firms (+100), were offset by an equal loss in banks throughout the state. The largest job gain over the year as well as over the month occurred in the insurance division which has enlarged by 3.6 percent since last March. It appears that insurance firms are smartly taking advantage of

Winners & losers in the services showdown

Business services -13,900

Hotels & other lodging

-1,600

Social services

-1,500

Educational services Health Services

5,900 8,100

Amusement/Recreation

3,000

Other services

29,600

Engineering/Management

3,400

-15,000 -10,000 -5,000

0

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000

Over-the-year change

the employment and population growth in the state by opening up new branches where demand for their services has increased.
The services growth machine had another party this month as the division unfurled 10,800 new jobs for Georgia's workers. The robust growth in services in March was shepherded once again by `other services' which endowed the division with 4,300 more workers over the month and a colossal 29,600 over the year. Other major contributors this month were amusement and recreation, adding 2,200 jobs with the seasonal opening of several theme and fun parks and business services whose 1,800 new jobs were the icing on the cake. Personnel supply services lost another 300 workers this month, however, and may soon be relegated to partypooper status when the party-goers learn that it is they who are responsible for the loss of 14,900 jobs since last year's March hoopla. Yet the temp service industry is not alone in outcast status, because the news is out that the hotel industry, building services, social services, and motion pictures have waved goodbye to a thousand or more workers each since last March. But as long as the major party sponsors (e.g. health, educational and other services) keep turning it out, it will be some time before the party train slows down.
Government employment increased 2,500 in March due at least in part to IRS seasonal activity and continued growth in local and state education. Hours and earnings estimates this month reflect slight improvements over February, but do not bode well for the state's manufacturing workers over the long term. Since March 2000 the average weekly earnings of Georgia's manufacturing workers has fallen $3.24 and the average workweek has fallen by one full hour.
Produced by the Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis, in cooperation with the U.S. Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
For more information, please contact
Lili Stern at (404) 656-3177 or (800) 338-2082
Fax (404) 651-9568 Email: Lili.Stern@dol.state.ga.us
3

Georgia Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Mining
Construction General building contractors Heavy construction Special trade Manufacturing Durable goods Lumber and wood products
Furniture & fixtures Stone, clay, & glass products Primary metal industries Fabricated metal products Industrial machinery Electronic equipment Transportation equipment Other durable goods
Nondurable goods Food and kindred products Meat products Textile mill products Carpets & rugs Apparel & other finished textiles Paper and allied products
Printing and publishing Commercial printing Chemicals and allied products Other nondurable goods Service producing industries Transportation & public utilities Transportation Communications
Electric, gas, & sanitary services Trade Wholesale trade Retail trade
General merchandise Food stores Eating & drinking places
Finance, insurance, and real estate Finance Insurance Real estate Services Hotels and other lodging places Business services Personnel supply
Computer & D.P. services Amusement, recreation Health services Hospitals Educational services Social services Engineering & management
Other services Total government Total federal government
Department of Defense Total state government State education Total local government Local education

4,038.4 790.6 7.8 207.8
46.7 28.3 132.8 575.0 253.0 39.8 12.1 21.5
13.2 24.9 41.4 34.4 47.5 18.2 322.0
71.0 39.1 99.0 44.2 23.7 30.4 43.9 16.4
22.6 31.4 3,247.8 272.6 162.7 85.8 24.1
993.3 262.9 730.4
95.0 104.9 261.0 206.2
91.5
72.9 41.8 1,155.1 46.5 323.3 130.3 78.5
35.6 255.4 106.3
63.5 55.5 93.4 281.9 620.6
93.8 27.7 159.5 73.8 367.3 226.3

4,015.7 793.6 7.8 208.3
46.8 28.4 133.1 577.5 253.6 40.1 12.3 21.6
13.3 25.0 41.4 34.5 47.3 18.1 323.9
71.4 39.4 100.2 44.5 23.6 30.5 43.9 16.5
22.6 31.7 3,222.1 272.2 163.0 85.1 24.1
982.0 262.6 719.4
91.7 106.9 254.1 205.5
91.6
72.4 41.5 1,144.3 45.6 321.5 130.6 78.0
33.4 254.5 105.7
63.5 55.5 92.7 277.6 618.1
93.8 27.6 158.5 73.1 365.8 224.9

3,971.6 802.3 7.9 203.4
47.3 28.0 128.1 591.0 259.6 44.1 12.1 21.3
13.6 25.4 41.4 34.5 49.3 17.9 331.4
73.2 39.4 101.9 44.6 24.9 31.6 44.8 16.8
22.3 32.7 3,169.3 265.9 159.0 82.6 24.3
973.3 259.5 713.8
90.6 108.1 254.5 203.7
92.6
70.4 40.7 1,122.1 48.1 337.2 145.2 77.6
32.6 247.3 102.8
57.6 57.0 90.0 252.3 604.3
98.9 27.8 152.2 65.3 353.2 218.4

+22.7 +0.6 -3.0 -0.4 +.0 +0.0 -.5 -0.2
-.1 -0.2 -.1 -0.4 -.3 -0.2 -2.5 -0.4 -.6 -0.2 -.3 -0.7 -.2 -1.6 -.1 -0.5
-.1 -0.8 -.1 -0.4 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.3 +.2 +0.4 +.1 +0.6 -1.9 -0.6
-.4 -0.6 -.3 -0.8 -1.2 -1.2 -.3 -0.7 +.1 +0.4 -.1 -0.3 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.6
+.0 +0.0 -.3 -0.9 +25.7 +0.8 +.4 +0.1 -.3 -0.2 +.7 +0.8 +.0 +0.0
+11.3 +1.2 +.3 +0.1
+11.0 +1.5 +3.3 +3.6 -2.0 -1.9 +6.9 +2.7 +.7 +0.3 -.1 -0.1
+.5 +0.7 +.3 +0.7 +10.8 +0.9 +.9 +2.0 +1.8 +0.6 -.3 -0.2 +.5 +0.6
+2.2 +6.6 +.9 +0.4 +.6 +0.6 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.7 +0.8
+4.3 +1.5 +2.5 +0.4
+.0 +0.0 +.1 +0.4 +1.0 +0.6 +.7 +1.0 +1.5 +0.4 +1.4 +0.6

+66.8 +1.7 -11.7 -1.5
-.1 -1.3 +4.4 +2.2
-.6 -1.3 +.3 +1.1 +4.7 +3.7 -16.0 -2.7 -6.6 -2.5 -4.3 -9.8 +.0 +0.0 +.2 +0.9
-.4 -2.9 -.5 -2.0 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.3 -1.8 -3.7 +.3 +1.7 -9.4 -2.8
-2.2 -3.0 -.3 -0.8
-2.9 -2.8 -.4 -0.9
-1.2 -4.8 -1.2 -3.8
-.9 -2.0 -.4 -2.4
+.3 +1.3 -1.3 -4.0 +78.5 +2.5 +6.7 +2.5 +3.7 +2.3 +3.2 +3.9
-.2 -0.8
+20.0 +2.1 +3.4 +1.3
+16.6 +2.3 +4.4 +4.9 -3.2 -3.0 +6.5 +2.6 +2.5 +1.2 -1.1 -1.2
+2.5 +3.6 +1.1 +2.7 +33.0 +2.9 -1.6 -3.3 -13.9 -4.1 -14.9 -10.3
+.9 +1.2
+3.0 +9.2 +8.1 +3.3 +3.5 +3.4 +5.9 +10.2 -1.5 -2.6 +3.4 +3.8 +29.6 +11.7 +16.3 +2.7
-5.1 -5.2 -.1 -0.4
+7.3 +4.8 +8.5 +13.0 +14.1 +4.0 +7.9 +3.6

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected employers

throughout Georgia. The estimates include all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who were employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the

twelfth of the month. Proprietors, domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers and personnel of the armed forces are excluded. Estimates based on 2000 bench-

mark.

Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis

4

Georgia Hours and Earnings (000s)

Average Weekly Earnings
Preliminary Revised Revised Mar 2001 Feb 2001 Mar 2000

Average Weekly Hours
Preliminary Revised Revised Mar 2001 Feb 2001 Mar 2000

Average Hourly Earnings
Preliminary Revised Revised Mar 2001 Feb 2000 Mar 2000

Total manufacturing

$523.20 $518.09 $526.44

40.0

39.7

41.0 $13.08 $13.05 $12.84

Durable goods

$551.15 $543.10 $561.41

39.2

38.6

40.8 $14.06 $14.07 $13.76

Lumber and wood products

$441.75 $420.48 $421.85

37.5

36.5

37.8 $11.78 $11.52 $11.16

Furniture and fixtures

$424.56 $421.20 $415.67

41.3

39.0

40.2 $10.28 $10.80 $10.34

Stone, clay and glass products

$615.64 $602.75 $580.99

44.1

42.9

40.6 $13.96 $14.05 $14.31

Primary metal industries

$627.63 $631.33 $596.20

42.9

42.6

44.0 $14.63 $14.82 $13.55

Fabricated metal products

$526.58 $510.05 $492.05

42.5

41.1

42.2 $12.39 $12.41 $11.66

Industrial machinery

$512.53 $512.72 $525.01

39.7

39.9

41.8 $12.91 $12.85 $12.56

Electric and electronic equipment

$459.72 $459.46 $460.46

36.0

35.7

38.5 $12.77 $12.87 $11.96

Transportation equipment

$818.52 $807.79 $926.84

38.0

37.8

45.5 $21.54 $21.37 $20.37

Other durable goods

$431.38 $423.95 $401.38

35.1

34.3

33.9 $12.29 $12.36 $11.84

Nondurable goods

$502.24 $498.96 $499.34

40.7

40.5

41.2 $12.34 $12.32 $12.12

Food and kindred products

$506.57 $492.05 $472.73

41.9

40.8

41.0 $12.09 $12.06 $11.53

Meat products

$371.39 $366.66 $375.44

39.3

38.8

40.5

$9.45 $9.45 $9.27

Textile mill products

$451.00 $450.78 $464.52

41.3

41.7

42.0 $10.92 $10.81 $11.06

Carpets and rugs

$463.95 $461.76 $488.06

43.4

44.4

42.7 $10.69 $10.40 $11.43

Apparel and other finished textiles

$277.72 $271.12 $300.49

33.3

32.2

36.6

$8.34 $8.42 $8.21

Paper and allied products

$667.32 $683.83 $700.48

41.5

42.5

44.0 $16.08 $16.09 $15.92

Printing and publishing

$595.58 $580.50 $553.50

39.6

38.7

37.5 $15.04 $15.00 $14.76

Commerical printing

$650.72 $646.25 $614.79

41.5

41.4

41.4 $15.68 $15.61 $14.85

Chemicals and allied products

$655.61 $657.58 $676.06

42.6

42.7

42.6 $15.39 $15.40 $15.87

Other nondurable goods

$483.55 $486.33 $483.30

39.7

39.7

41.7 $12.18 $12.25 $11.59

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data exclude supervisory, sales, clerical and other office

personnel. Average earnings are computed on a "gross" basis, reflecting changes in basic hourly and incentive wage rates, as well as any premium pay for overtime and late shift work.

Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis

Georgia Average Weekly Hours

Manufacturing production workers

*Preliminary Estimate

42.5

42.0

41.7

41.6

41.5

41.2 41.1 41.2

41.3 41.1

41.0

40.9

41.0

40.7

40.6

40.5

40.0

40.0

39.7

39.5 Mar Apr May Jun

Jul Aug Sep 2000

Oct Nov Dec Jan

Feb Mar* 2001
5

Atlanta Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Mining Construction
General building contractors Heavy construction Special trade Manufacturing Durable goods Lumber and wood products Stone, clay, and glass products Primary metal industries Fabricated metal products Industrial machinery Electronic equipment Transportation equipment Other durable goods Nondurable goods Food and kindred products Textile mill products Apparel and other finished textiles Paper and allied products Printing and publishing
Commercial printing Chemicals and allied products Other nondurable goods Service producing industries Transportation & public utilities Transportation Communications & public utilities Trade Wholesale trade
Wholesale--durable goods Wholesale--nondurable goods Retail trade General merchandise Food stores Eating & drinking places Miscellaneous retail Finance, insurance, and real estate Finance Insurance Real estate Services Hotels and other lodging places Business services Personnel supply Computer & D.P. services Amusement, including movies Health services Hospitals Social services Engineering & management Other services Total government Total federal government Total state government Total local government

2,218.8 338.2 1.9 118.0 26.6 13.7 77.7 218.3 111.0 9.3 9.6 8.1 11.6 16.1 17.0 22.1 17.2 107.3 24.5 9.9 7.5 12.4 27.8 9.9 10.7 14.5
1,880.6 197.5 118.7 78.8 583.6 181.0 127.3 53.7 402.6 48.6 55.8 149.0 49.6 139.3 59.3 51.9 28.1 686.7 27.6 227.1 87.3 64.2 30.6 129.1 56.3 30.8 67.9 173.6 273.5 46.0 55.7 171.8

2,208.5 339.6 1.9 118.9 27.2 14.0 77.7 218.8 111.2 9.4 9.6 8.2 11.7 16.1 17.0 22.0 17.2 107.6 24.5 10.0 7.5 12.5 27.8 9.9 10.7 14.6
1,868.9 196.6 118.7 77.9 577.2 179.5 126.1 53.4 397.7 47.2 57.2 143.4 49.9 139.7 59.7 51.8 28.2 682.8 28.1 226.8 88.1 63.9 28.9 128.6 55.8 30.9 68.0 171.5 272.6 46.2 55.6 170.8

2,184.5 342.5 1.9 117.7 26.6 14.7 76.4 222.9 112.0 9.0 9.6 7.7 11.8 16.6 18.6 21.7 17.0 110.9 25.5 10.4 7.8 12.9 28.5 10.4 10.6 15.2
1,842.0 192.5 114.1 78.4 566.3 176.5 124.5 52.0 389.8 45.7 57.1 140.5 46.5 137.9 61.1 48.9 27.9 679.0 27.8 234.2 92.1 64.8 28.9 124.9 53.8 31.5 66.8 164.9 266.3 47.5 54.4 164.4

+10.3 +0.5 -1.4 -0.4 +.0 +0.0 -.9 -0.8 -.6 -2.2 -.3 -2.1 +.0 +0.0 -.5 -0.2 -.2 -0.2 -.1 -1.1 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -1.2 -.1 -0.9 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +0.5 +.0 +0.0 -.3 -0.3 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -1.0 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.8 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.7
+11.7 +0.6 +.9 +0.5 +.0 +0.0 +.9 +1.2
+6.4 +1.1 +1.5 +0.8 +1.2 +1.0
+.3 +0.6 +4.9 +1.2 +1.4 +3.0 -1.4 -2.4 +5.6 +3.9
-.3 -0.6 -.4 -0.3 -.4 -0.7 +.1 +0.2 -.1 -0.4 +3.9 +0.6 -.5 -1.8 +.3 +0.1 -.8 -0.9 +.3 +0.5 +1.7 +5.9 +.5 +0.4 +.5 +0.9 -.1 -0.3 -.1 -0.1 +2.1 +1.2 +.9 +0.3 -.2 -0.4 +.1 +0.2 +1.0 +0.6

+34.3 +1.6 -4.3 -1.3 +.0 +0.0 +.3 +0.3 +.0 +0.0 -1.0 -6.8 +1.3 +1.7 -4.6 -2.1 -1.0 -0.9 +.3 +3.3 +.0 +0.0 +.4 +5.2 -.2 -1.7 -.5 -3.0 -1.6 -8.6 +.4 +1.8 +.2 +1.2 -3.6 -3.2 -1.0 -3.9 -.5 -4.8 -.3 -3.8 -.5 -3.9 -.7 -2.5 -.5 -4.8 +.1 +0.9 -.7 -4.6
+38.6 +2.1 +5.0 +2.6 +4.6 +4.0 +.4 +0.5
+17.3 +3.1 +4.5 +2.5 +2.8 +2.2 +1.7 +3.3
+12.8 +3.3 +2.9 +6.3 -1.3 -2.3 +8.5 +6.0 +3.1 +6.7 +1.4 +1.0 -1.8 -2.9 +3.0 +6.1 +.2 +0.7 +7.7 +1.1 -.2 -0.7 -7.1 -3.0 -4.8 -5.2 -.6 -0.9 +1.7 +5.9 +4.2 +3.4 +2.5 +4.6 -.7 -2.2 +1.1 +1.6 +8.7 +5.3 +7.2 +2.7 -1.5 -3.2 +1.3 +2.4 +7.4 +4.5

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected employers

in the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry,

Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton counties. The estimates include all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who were employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the twelfth of the month. Proprietors, domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers and personnel of the armed forces are

excluded. Estimates based on 2000 benchmark.

Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis
6

Albany Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Mining Contract construction Manufacturing
Durable goods Nondurable goods Food and kindred products Textile mill products Chemicals and allied products Other nondurable goods Service producing industries

59.3

58.8

58.7

12.1

11.9

11.6

.0

.0

.0

4.0

3.9

3.4

8.1

8.0

8.2

1.4

1.4

1.5

6.7

6.6

6.7

1.7

1.6

1.7

.8

.8

.9

.6

.6

.6

3.6

3.6

3.5

47.2

46.9

47.1

+.5 +0.9 +.2 +1.7 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +2.6 +.1 +1.3 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +1.5 +.1 +6.3 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.3 +0.6

+.6 +1.0 +.5 +4.3 +.0 +0.0 +.6 +17.6 -.1 -1.2 -.1 -6.7 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -11.1 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +2.9 +.1 +0.2

Transportation, communications, and public utilities
Wholesale and retail trade Wholesale trade Retail trade Finance, insurance, and real estate Services Government Federal State and local

3.5

3.5

3.4

13.8

13.8

13.9

3.0

3.0

2.9

10.8

10.8

11.0

1.7

1.7

1.7

16.2

15.9

15.9

12.0

12.0

12.2

2.7

2.7

2.9

9.3

9.3

9.3

+.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.3 +1.9 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0

+.1 +2.9 -.1 -0.7 +.1 +3.4 -.2 -1.8 +.0 +0.0 +.3 +1.9 -.2 -1.6 -.2 -6.9 +.0 +0.0

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected employers
in the Albany Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Dougherty and Lee counties. The estimates include all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who were employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the twelfth of the month. Proprietors, domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers and personnel of the armed forces are excluded. Estimates based on 2000 benchmark.

Athens Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment

74.2

74.1

73.0

+.1 +0.1

+1.2 +1.6

Goods producing industries

14.8

14.8

14.8

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Construction and mining

3.3

3.3

3.2

+.0 +0.0

+.1 +3.1

Manufacturing

11.5

11.5

11.6

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -0.9

Durable goods

5.6

5.6

5.6

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Nondurable goods

5.9

5.9

6.0

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -1.7

Food and kindred products

3.1

3.1

3.1

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Textiles and apparel

1.3

1.3

1.3

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Other nondurable goods

1.5

1.5

1.6

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -6.3

Service producing industries

59.4

59.3

58.2

+.1 +0.2

+1.2 +2.1

Transportation, communications,

and public utilities

2.1

2.1

1.9

+.0 +0.0

+.2 +10.5

Wholesale and retail trade

17.4

17.6

17.2

-.2 -1.1

+.2 +1.2

Wholesale trade

2.9

2.9

2.7

+.0 +0.0

+.2 +7.4

Retail trade

14.5

14.7

14.5

-.2 -1.4

+.0 +0.0

Finance, insurance, and real estate

2.2

2.2

2.3

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -4.3

Services

17.3

17.1

17.0

+.2 +1.2

+.3 +1.8

Government

20.4

20.3

19.8

+.1 +0.5

+.6 +3.0

Federal

1.9

1.9

1.9

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

State and local

18.5

18.4

17.9

+.1 +0.5

+.6 +3.4

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected employers

in the Athens Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Clarke, Madison and Oconee counties. The estimates include all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who were employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the twelfth of the month. Proprietors, domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers and personnel of the armed forces are excluded. Estimates based on 2000 benchmark.

Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis

7

Augusta-Aiken Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment

204.6

203.6

202.3

+1.0 +0.5

+2.3 +1.1

Goods producing industries

43.1

43.4

42.5

-.3 -0.7

+.6 +1.4

Mining

.3

.3

.3

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Contract construction

13.4

13.5

13.0

-.1 -0.7

+.4 +3.1

Manufacturing

29.4

29.6

29.2

-.2 -0.7

+.2 +0.7

Durable goods

11.9

11.9

11.6

+.0 +0.0

+.3 +2.6

Lumber and wood products

1.3

1.3

1.3

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Stone, clay, and glass products

2.4

2.4

2.6

+.0 +0.0

-.2 -7.7

Other durable goods

8.2

8.2

7.7

+.0 +0.0

+.5 +6.5

Nondurable goods

17.5

17.7

17.6

-.2 -1.1

-.1 -0.6

Food and kindred products

2.3

2.4

2.4

-.1 -4.2

-.1 -4.2

Textile mill products

4.8

4.8

4.9

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -2.0

Apparel and other finished textiles

1.7

1.7

1.8

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -5.6

Printing and publishing

1.9

1.9

1.8

+.0 +0.0

+.1 +5.6

Other nondurable goods

6.8

6.9

6.7

-.1 -1.4

+.1 +1.5

Service producing industries

161.5

160.2

159.8

+1.3 +0.8

+1.7 +1.1

Transportation, communications,

and public utilities

17.3

17.3

17.1

+.0 +0.0

+.2 +1.2

Wholesale and retail trade

43.8

43.3

43.1

+.5 +1.2

+.7 +1.6

Wholesale trade

4.7

4.7

4.6

+.0 +0.0

+.1 +2.2

Retail trade

39.1

38.6

38.5

+.5 +1.3

+.6 +1.6

Finance, insurance, and real estate

6.2

6.2

6.0

+.0 +0.0

+.2 +3.3

Services

52.1

51.4

51.4

+.7 +1.4

+.7 +1.4

Government

42.1

42.0

42.2

+.1 +0.2

-.1 -0.2

Federal

7.6

7.6

7.5

+.0 +0.0

+.1 +1.3

State and local

34.5

34.4

34.7

+.1 +0.3

-.2 -0.6

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected employers in

the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Columbia, McDuffie and Richmond counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. The estimates include

all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who were employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the twelfth of the month. Proprietors, domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers and personnel of the armed forces are excluded. Estimates based on 2000 benchmark.

Columbus Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment

121.0

120.8

120.0

+.2 +0.2

+1.0 +0.8

Goods producing industries

25.2

25.5

26.4

-.3 -1.2

-1.2 -4.5

Construction and mining

5.4

5.5

5.3

-.1 -1.8

+.1 +1.9

Manufacturing

19.8

20.0

21.1

-.2 -1.0

-1.3 -6.2

Durable goods

8.8

8.9

9.0

-.1 -1.1

-.2 -2.2

Nondurable goods

11.0

11.1

12.1

-.1 -0.9

-1.1 -9.1

Food and kindred products

2.4

2.4

3.1

+.0 +0.0

-.7 -22.6

Textile mill products

5.5

5.5

5.7

+.0 +0.0

-.2 -3.5

Printing and publishing

1.0

1.0

1.2

+.0 +0.0

-.2 -16.7

Other nondurable goods

2.1

2.2

2.1

-.1 -4.5

+.0 +0.0

Service producing industries

95.8

95.3

93.6

+.5 +0.5

+2.2 +2.4

Transportation, communications,

and public utilities

4.8

4.7

4.2

+.1 +2.1

+.6 +14.3

Wholesale and retail trade

26.1

26.1

25.6

+.0 +0.0

+.5 +2.0

Wholesale trade

3.0

3.0

2.9

+.0 +0.0

+.1 +3.4

Retail trade

23.1

23.1

22.7

+.0 +0.0

+.4 +1.8

Finance, insurance, and real estate

8.9

8.9

8.0

+.0 +0.0

+.9 +11.3

Services

34.4

33.9

34.3

+.5 +1.5

+.1 +0.3

Government

21.6

21.7

21.5

-.1 -0.5

+.1 +0.5

Federal

5.6

5.7

5.9

-.1 -1.8

-.3 -5.1

State and local

16.0

16.0

15.6

+.0 +0.0

+.4 +2.6

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected

employers in the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Chattahoochee, Harris and Muscogee counties in Georgia and Russell County in Alabama. The estimates

include all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who were employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the twelfth of the month. Proprietors,

domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers and personnel of the armed forces are excluded. Estimates based on 2000 benchmark.

Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis

8

Macon Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment

152.4

151.0

152.1

+1.4 +0.9

+.3 +0.2

Goods producing industries

26.1

26.0

26.7

+.1 +0.4

-.6 -2.2

Mining

.8

.8

.9

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -11.1

Contract construction

6.5

6.5

6.8

+.0 +0.0

-.3 -4.4

Manufacturing

18.8

18.7

19.0

+.1 +0.5

-.2 -1.1

Durable goods

9.2

9.1

9.4

+.1 +1.1

-.2 -2.1

Nondurable goods

9.6

9.6

9.6

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Food and kindred products

2.3

2.3

2.3

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Textile and apparel products

.9

.9

.9

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Paper and allied products

1.5

1.5

1.5

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Other nondurable goods

4.9

4.9

4.9

+.0 +0.0

+.0 +0.0

Service producing industries

126.3

125.0

125.4

+1.3 +1.0

+.9 +0.7

Transportation, communications,

and public utilities

6.2

6.1

5.8

+.1 +1.6

+.4 +6.9

Wholesale and retail trade

35.0

34.7

35.0

+.3 +0.9

+.0 +0.0

Wholesale trade

5.1

5.1

5.0

+.0 +0.0

+.1 +2.0

Retail trade

29.9

29.6

30.0

+.3 +1.0

-.1 -0.3

Finance, insurance, and real estate

9.1

9.0

9.5

+.1 +1.1

-.4 -4.2

Services

42.4

42.0

42.1

+.4 +1.0

+.3 +0.7

Government

33.6

33.2

33.0

+.4 +1.2

+.6 +1.8

Federal

14.1

13.9

13.8

+.2 +1.4

+.3 +2.2

State and local

19.5

19.3

19.2

+.2 +1.0

+.3 +1.6

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected employers

in the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Bibb, Houston, Jones, Peach and Twiggs counties. The estimates include all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who

were employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the twelfth of the month. Proprietors, domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers

and personnel of the armed forces are excluded. Estimates based on 2000 benchmark.

Savannah Nonagricultural Employment (000s)

Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2001 FEB 2001 MAR 2000

Change in Jobs from FEB 2001
Net %

Change in Jobs from MAR 2000
Net %

Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Construction and mining Manufacturing
Durable goods Lumber and wood products Transportation equipment Other durable goods Nondurable goods Food and kindred products Paper and allied products Chemicals and allied products Petroleum and coal products Other nondurable goods Service producing industries

137.3 25.6 9.0 16.6 9.1 .8 5.9 2.4 7.5 1.4 3.4 1.5 .3 .9
111.7

137.0 25.5 9.0 16.5 9.0 .8 5.8 2.4 7.5 1.4 3.4 1.5 .3 .9
111.5

137.3 25.8 8.4 17.4 9.7 .9 6.4 2.4 7.7 1.4 3.5 1.5 .3 1.0
111.5

+.3 +0.2 +.1 +0.4 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +0.6 +.1 +1.1 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +1.7 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.2 +0.2

+.0 +0.0 -.2 -0.8 +.6 +7.1 -.8 -4.6 -.6 -6.2 -.1 -11.1 -.5 -7.8 +.0 +0.0 -.2 -2.6 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -2.9 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -10.0 +.2 +0.2

Transportation, communications,

and public utilities

9.5

9.6

9.5

-.1 -1.0

+.0 +0.0

Wholesale and retail trade

34.6

34.6

34.9

+.0 +0.0

-.3 -0.9

Wholesale trade

5.4

5.4

5.6

+.0 +0.0

-.2 -3.6

Retail trade

29.2

29.2

29.3

+.0 +0.0

-.1 -0.3

Finance, insurance, and real estate

4.7

4.7

4.5

+.0 +0.0

+.2 +4.4

Services

42.4

42.2

41.9

+.2 +0.5

+.5 +1.2

Government

20.5

20.4

20.7

+.1 +0.5

-.2 -1.0

Federal

2.7

2.7

3.0

+.0 +0.0

-.3 -10.0

State and local

17.8

17.7

17.7

+.1 +0.6

+.1 +0.6

Note: These preliminary estimates were prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, based upon monthly reports submitted by selected employers

in the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Bryan, Chatham and Effingham counties. The estimates include all full- and part-time wage and salary workers who were

employed during or received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the twelfth of the month. Proprietors, domestic workers, self-employed persons, unpaid family workers and

personnel of the armed forces are excluded. Estimates based on 2000 benchmark.

Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis

9

Dimensions - Measuring Georgia's Labor Force

Unemployment rate up for

third straight month

6.0%

Unemployment rates -- Georgia and U.S.

Little changed over the month: Georgia's
unemployment rate was up marginally from 3.6 percent in February to 3.7 percent in
March. However, despite the over-the-month increase, the state's predilection to low job-
less rates continued with March 2001 marking the eighth consecutive monththat Georgia's rate has remained at or below 3.8
percent. Another noteworthy fact -- the state has not seen a jobless rate greater than
4.8 percent in more than three and one-half years. One year ago, Georgia's rate was 3.9
percent.

5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0%

Georgia

U.S.

The U.S. unemployment rate, not season-

Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

ally adjusted, was unchanged over the

2000

2001

month at 4.6 percent in March. One year

earlier, the nation's rate was 4.3 percent.
At nearly one percentage point below the U.S. rate, Georgia's unemployment rate
continued to compare favorably to the nation's rate in March, having maintained a rate below the U.S. rate for five consecu-
tive months. In fact, the state's jobless rate has exceeded the nation's rate only seven
times in nearly ten and one-half years.

cific attempts to find a job in the prior four weeks, and those who were available for work during the reference week (except for temporary illness). Persons waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not be looking for work to be classified as unemployed.
At nearly 4.1 million, total civilian employ-

(MSAs) followed the statewide trend and posted higher over-the-month rates in March. In a position long held by Athens,
Atlanta and Savannah tied at 3.1 percent and gained the distinction of being the two metro areas with the lowest jobless rate in
March. Trailing both Atlanta and Savannah by one-tenth percentage point, Athens, at 3.2 percent, moved down a notch for the

At 155,000, the total number of unemployed Georgians was at a 6-month high
in March. With an increase of more than 5,000 over the month, the total number of
unemployed rose 3.5 percent from February to March despite an over-the-month
decline in the number of persons receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits
during the reference week in March. In addition to those receiving UI benefits, the total count of unemployed also includes all
persons, 16 years and older, who did not work during the reference week, made spe-

ment increased by slightly less than 11,000 over the month in March. Nonagricultural employment, the largest component of civilian employment, continued to grow and contribute to Georgia's low unemployment rate. Also included in the total number of civilian employed are agricultural, self-employed, unpaid family and private household workers.
Area data
Unemployment rates in four of Georgia's seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas

first time in more than nine years. Atlanta, Savannah and Athens were also three of four metro areas to post jobless rates at or below the statewide rate in March. Macon, at 3.7 percent, was the other area to match the state. Albany, at 5.5 percent, continued to stay the course with the highest rate of all metro areas.
Similar to the state, 89 counties in Georgia had increasing over-the-month rates in March. Forty-eight counties posted decreases in their rates and the remaining 22 counties had jobless rates which were es-

sentially unchanged over the month.

Percent 8
7

Southeastern states and U.S. unemployment rates

March

February

Randolph County, at 12.8 percent, had the highest rate in the state and was one of four counties with double-digit unemployment
rates. Dawson County, at 1.4 percent, gained prominence in March with the lowest rate in the state, upstaging long-stand-

6

5.6

5 4.8 5.1

4.6 4.3

4

3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6

5.1

4.9

4.5

3.7 4.0

4.4 4.1

4.6 4.6

ing Oconee County, at 1.8 percent, which moved to third place.
On the heels of three consecutive months of record low unemployment rates in the Southeast, Georgia, at 3.7 percent, moved to second place in March.

3

Florida, at 3.6 percent, had the lowest jobless rate in the region and was one of six states to post

2

unemployment rates below the nation's rate of 4.6 percent. The other five states were Georgia, Ken-

tucky, at 4.3 percent, North Carolina, at 4.5 per-

1

cent, South Carolina, at 3.7 percent, and Tennessee,

at 4.1 percent. With an over-the-month increase

0

of five-tenths percentage point, Mississippi, at 5.6

AL

FL

GA

KY

MS

NC

SC

TN

US

percent had the highest rate in the region.

10

Georgia
Albany MSA
Athens MSA
Atlanta MSA
Augusta-Aiken, GA-SC MSA Columbus, GA-AL MSA Macon MSA
Savannah MSA

Georgia Labor Force Estimates (not seasonally adjusted) Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older

Employment Status
Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate

Preliminary MAR 2001
4,201,890 4,046,845
155,045 3.7

Revised FEB 2001
4,185,999 4,036,217
149,782 3.6

Revised MAR 2000
4,148,001 3,987,778
160,223 3.9

Change From

Revised

Revised

FEB 2001

MAR 2000

15,891 10,628
5,263 --

53,889 59,067 -5,178
--

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed
Rate

56,006 52,901
3,105 5.5

55,813 52,748
3,065 5.5

55,631 52,459
3,172 5.7

193

375

153

442

40

-67

--

--

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed
Rate

74,210 71,809
2,401 3.2

73,924 71,814
2,110 2.9

72,348 70,655
1,693 2.3

286

1,862

-5

1,154

291

708

--

--

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed
Rate

2,273,608 2,203,980
69,628 3.1

2,275,286 2,205,518
69,768 3.1

2,244,519 2,176,042
68,477 3.1

-1,678 -1,538
-140 --

29,089 27,938
1,151 --

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed
Rate

209,070 200,868
8,202 3.9

207,846 199,883
7,963 3.8

206,518 197,106
9,412 4.6

1,224 985 239 --

2,552 3,762 -1,210
--

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed
Rate

125,344 120,184
5,160 4.1

125,583 120,393
5,190 4.1

125,008 119,016
5,992 4.8

-239 -209
-30 --

336 1,168 -832
--

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed
Rate

151,860 146,278
5,582 3.7

150,923 145,739
5,184 3.4

157,379 146,405
10,974 7.0

937

-5,519

539

-127

398

-5,392

--

--

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate

134,295 130,107
4,188 3.1

134,366 130,380
3,986 3.0

135,254 130,424
4,830 3.6

-71 -273 202
--

-959 -317 -642
--

United States Labor Force Estimates Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older

Area
United States
(Seasonally adjusted)

Employment Status
Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate

MAR 2001
141,868,000 135,780,000
6,088,000 4.3

FEB 2001
141,751,000 135,815,000
5,936,000 4.2

MAR 2000
140,705,000 135,013,000
5,692,000 4.0

Change From

FEB 2001

MAR 2000

117,000 -35,000 152,000
--

1,163,000 767,000 396,000 --

United States
(Not Seasonally adjusted)

Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed

141,751,000 135,298,000
6,453,000

141,238,000 134,774,000
6,464,000

140,501,000 134,494,000
6,007,000

513,000 524,000 -11,000

1,250,000 804,000 446,000

Rate

4.6

4.6

4.3

--

--

Note: Employment includes nonagricultural wage and salary employment, self-employment, unpaid family and private household w orkers and agricultural workers .

Persons in labor disputes are counted as employed. The use of unrounded data does not imply that the numbers are exact. Georgia and Metropolitan

Statistical Area data have not been seasonally adjusted . Seasonally adjusted data for Georgia available upon request. Albany MSA: Includes Dougherty and Lee counties

Athens MSA: Includes Clarke, Madison, and Oconee counties

Atlanta MSA: Includes Barrow , Bartow , Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette , Forsyth, Ful ton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton counties

Augusta-Aiken MSA: Includes Columbia, McDuffie and Richmond counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina Columbus MSA: Includes Chattahoochee, Harris and Muscogee counties in Georgia and Russell County in Alabama

Macon MSA : Includes Bibb, Houston, Jones, Peach, and Twiggs counties

Savannah MSA: Includes Byran, Chatham, and Effingham counties

Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis

11

Spotlight: Service Delivery Region Three

From the diverse neighborhoods of Atlanta proper, to the palatial estates of Buckhead, and on to the multitude of planned communities flung across the surrounding landscape, Service Delivery Region Three is an area of stark economic and demographic contrasts. Carved out of the heart of the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical area, one common thread unites the ten counties which comprise this region: growth...growth with a capital "G"....phenomenal, mind-boggling, problem inducing growth. Stretching from Cherokee County on the north to Fayette and Henry Counties on the south side, and from Douglas on the west to Gwinnett on the east, this region is now home to four out of ten Georgians, according to recently released Census numbers. The sheer weight of that much population in such a constricted area is enough to bring both tears of joy and tears of frustration to the eyes of local officials and developers. Businesses have swarmed to the area, lured by the availability of a diverse work force and the desire to meet the needs of so many consumers. Educators and transportation planners particularly have struggled to keep pace with this

rapid increase in the number of people demanding to be served.
The total population of the area increased a substantial 18.8 percent between 1995 and 2000, totaling roughly 3,429,400 people in the Census Bureau count just released. The statewide growth rate of 13.9 percent over the same time frame pales in comparison, as does the growth rate for most areas of Georgia. The civilian labor force for the area grew only slightly less rapidly (18.2%) over the 1995 to 2000 time frame, once again bettering the state growth of only 15.4 percent. How has the region been able to maintain this growth over such a lengthy time frame? The answer is not easily discernible in that it cannot be traced to any single set of circumstances. The general economic boom enjoyed by the nation in recent years is most certainly a contributing factor but not the sole answer by any means. A healthy business climate, when coupled with access to a relatively young and educated workers and an aggressive set of economic developers, certainly does tip the scale toward progress. Throw in lower than average tax rates, easy access to all types of transportation, and a cosmopoli-

tan city with all sorts of entertainment options and you have a pretty dependable recipe for success.
As is true for most metropolitan areas across the land, Atlanta and the immediate surroundings have been moving away from a goods producing economic base towards one that is more service oriented. Much of the employment growth in the area can be traced to jobs in Trade and Services, with shopping malls and dot.com corporations seeming to spring from the ground in recent years. The jobless rate has declined steadily in the past five years and has maintained a healthy margin below the statewide rate. At a very low 3.0 percent unemployment rate for calendar year 2000, the area is experiencing what most economists would call full employment. This has caused some concern in the business community as employers scramble to compete for the few available workers. Until such time as transportation officials and construction companies can no longer keep pace with the deluge of people flocking to the area to seek their fortune, SDR 3 should continue with unabated growth with no substantial signs of a slowdown in sight.

The Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
12

Spotlight: Service Delivery Region Three

SDR #3
Cherokee

Cobb

Gwinnett

Douglas

DeKalb
Fulton Clayton

Rockdale

Fayette

Henry

Population/labor force growth - SDR 3

4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000
500,000

1995

Population

Labor Force

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Career Centers
Clayton ....................(404) 363-7643 Cobb/Cherokee .....(770) 528-6100 DeKalb....................(404) 298-3970 Gwinnett .................(770) 995-6913 North Metro ..........(404) 679-5200 South Metro...........(404) 699-6900

Unemployment rates - Georgia vs SDR 3

5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0
1995

1996

1997

SDR 3

Georgia

1998

1999

2000

Employment 700,000
600,000

Key industry employment 1997 vs 2000
1997 2000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0 Construction Manufacturing

Trade

Services

All other

Industry mix 2000

Agriculture 1%
Government 11%

Construction 5% Manufacturing 9%
Mining 0%

Services 31%

Trade 27%

TCU 9%

FIRE 7%

13

Georgia Labor Force Estimates by County (not seasonally adjusted)

Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older

County
Georgia

Preliminary March 2001

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

4,201,890 4,046,845 155,045

3.7

Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin

8,182 7,594 588 7.2

3,540 3,220 320 9.0

4,467 4,194 273 6.1

1,650 1,567

83 5.0

18,595 17,991 604 3.2

Revised February 2001

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

4,185,999 4,036,217 149,782 3.6

8,153 3,494 4,395 1,569 18,561

7,493 3,141 4,127 1,490 17,945

660 8.1 353 10.1 268 6.1
79 5.0 616 3.3

Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien

6,619 6,373 246 3.7 22,098 21,122 976 4.4 41,432 39,454 1,978 4.8 9,551 9,034 517 5.4 6,610 6,279 331 5.0

Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan

72,815 69,604 3,211 4.4 5,927 5,773 154 2.6 6,470 6,148 322 5.0 7,831 7,545 286 3.7 11,053 10,791 262 2.4

Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden

27,257 26,610 647 2.4 9,019 8,469 550 6.1 9,267 8,793 474 5.1 2,509 2,341 168 6.7 17,367 16,712 655 3.8

Candler

3,919 3,767 152 3.9

Carroll

46,450 43,825 2,625 5.7

Catoosa

27,305 26,487 818 3.0

Charlton

3,891 3,752 139 3.6

Chatham 104,877 101,500 3,377 3.2

Chattahoochee 2,382 2,247 135 5.7

Chattooga

12,283 11,712 571

4.6

Cherokee

83,442 81,834 1,608 1.9

Clarke

46,786 45,164 1,622 3.5

Clay

1,605 1,511

94 5.9

Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt

127,309 122,879 4,430 3.5 3,638 3,361 277 7.6
365,314 356,270 9,044 2.5 21,408 20,211 1,197 5.6 19,977 18,825 1,152 5.8

Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp

45,039 44,057 982 2.2 8,447 8,098 349 4.1 47,805 45,959 1,846 3.9 6,190 5,991 199 3.2 9,774 9,255 519 5.3

6,473 6,276

197 3.0

22,170 21,137 1,033 4.7

41,478 39,482 1,996 4.8

9,368 8,894

474 5.1

6,494 6,123

371 5.7

72,267 69,347 2,920 4.0

5,863 5,716

147 2.5

6,430 6,110

320 5.0

7,801 7,477

324 4.2

11,074 10,814

260 2.3

27,070 8,874 9,188 2,425 17,256

26,402 8,361 8,752 2,257
16,631

668 2.5 513 5.8 436 4.7 168 6.9 625 3.6

3,832 3,674

158 4.1

46,194 43,856 2,338 5.1

27,110 26,452

658 2.4

3,889 3,734

155 4.0

104,939 101,712 3,227 3.1

2,380 2,251

129 5.4

12,201 11,666

535 4.4

83,548 81,891 1,657 2.0

46,634 45,167 1,467 3.1

1,590 1,463

127 8.0

127,130 122,965 4,165 3.3

3,572 3,308

264 7.4

365,042 356,518 8,524 2.3

21,076 19,893 1,183 5.6

19,542 18,446 1,096 5.6

44,900 43,937

963 2.1

8,366 7,970

396 4.7

47,446 45,991 1,455 3.1

6,112 5,931

181 3.0

9,572 9,068

504 5.3

Revised March 2000

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

4,148,001 3,987,778 160,223

3.9

7,928 3,288 4,291 1,586 18,538

7,397 3,122 4,081 1,501 17,601

531 6.7 166 5.0 210 4.9
85 5.4 937 5.1

6,399 6,206

193 3.0

21,541 20,854

687 3.2

40,519 38,954 1,565 3.9

9,312 8,793

519 5.6

6,494 6,082

412 6.3

75,987 69,664 6,323 8.3

5,898 5,632

266 4.5

6,343 6,007

336 5.3

7,714 7,363

351 4.6

11,129 10,817

312 2.8

26,821 9,069 9,014 2,416 17,070

26,132 8,249 8,597 2,258 16,442

689 2.6 820 9.0 417 4.6 158 6.5 628 3.7

3,858 3,651

207 5.4

45,208 43,269 1,939 4.3

27,067 26,476

591 2.2

3,816 3,691

125 3.3

105,729 101,747 3,982 3.8

2,448 2,231

217 8.9

11,783 11,453

330 2.8

82,704 80,797 1,907 2.3

45,607 44,438 1,169 2.6

1,550 1,460

90 5.8

125,776 121,321 4,455 3.5

3,390 3,270

120 3.5

360,868 351,753 9,115 2.5

20,687 19,668 1,019 4.9

19,262 18,287

975 5.1

44,864 43,569 1,295 2.9

8,303 7,877

426 5.1

47,139 45,377 1,762 3.7

6,253 5,841

412 6.6

9,638 8,992

646 6.7

14

Georgia Labor Force Estimates by County (not seasonally adjusted)

Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older

County
Dade Dawson Decatur DeKalb Dodge

Preliminary March 2001

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

7,485 7,318 167 2.2 17,555 17,302 253 1.4 12,034 11,309 725 6.0 366,975 353,915 13,060 3.6 10,017 9,590 427 4.3

Revised February 2001

Revised March 2000

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

7,482 7,308

174 2.3

17,522 17,215

307 1.8

11,801 11,122

679 5.8

368,262 354,162 14,100 3.8

9,760 9,492

268 2.7

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

7,510 7,315

195 2.6

17,228 16,922

306 1.8

11,548 10,999

549 4.8

362,714 349,429 13,285 3.7

9,886 9,349

537 5.4

Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols

4,646 4,353 293 6.3

44,053 41,392 2,661 6.0

53,272 51,828 1,444 2.7

4,760 4,478 282 5.9

1,292 1,243

49 3.8

4,533 4,265

268 5.9

43,839 41,273 2,566 5.9

53,268 51,865 1,403 2.6

4,652 4,345

307 6.6

1,257 1,232

25 2.0

4,577 4,229

348 7.6

43,745 41,046 2,699 6.2

52,704 51,171 1,533 2.9

4,700 4,329

371 7.9

1,303 1,213

90 6.9

Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin

18,366 17,817 549 3.0 9,305 8,504 801 8.6 8,572 8,098 474 5.5 5,043 4,860 183 3.6 9,636 9,249 387 4.0

18,353 8,998 8,430 4,968 9,536

17,854 8,402 8,003 4,787 9,194

499 2.7 596 6.6 427 5.1 181 3.6 342 3.6

18,395 8,942 8,815 5,015 9,350

17,860 8,291 7,902 4,732 9,055

535 2.9 651 7.3 913 10.4 283 5.6 295 3.2

Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton

51,919 50,905 1,014 2.0 46,146 44,041 2,105 4.6 56,058 55,115 943 1.7 10,889 10,350 539 4.9 411,925 396,975 14,950 3.6

51,881 50,940

941 1.8 51,238 50,260

978 1.9

45,936 43,925 2,011 4.4 44,678 43,084 1,594 3.6

56,227 55,153 1,074 1.9 55,747 54,416 1,331 2.4

10,847 10,229

618 5.7 10,494 10,094

400 3.8

411,574 397,252 14,322 3.5 406,745 391,943 14,802 3.6

Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady

8,332 8,059 273 3.3

1,026

983

43 4.2

36,331 35,071 1,260 3.5

23,806 22,206 1,600 6.7

9,418 8,912 506 5.4

8,270 7,971

299 3.6

1,019

971

48 4.7

36,068 34,947 1,121 3.1

23,683 22,048 1,635 6.9

9,103 8,667

436 4.8

8,234 7,866

368 4.5

1,002

958

44 4.4

35,576 34,327 1,249 3.5

22,425 21,687

738 3.3

9,181 8,638

543 5.9

Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock

5,915 5,532 383 6.5 348,088 339,634 8,454 2.4
16,305 15,582 723 4.4 75,938 73,757 2,181 2.9 4,168 3,696 472 11.3

5,820 5,469

351 6.0

5,972 5,394

578 9.7

349,356 339,871 9,485 2.7 343,238 335,329 7,909 2.3

16,043 15,398

645 4.0 15,713 15,191

522 3.3

75,610 73,400 2,210 2.9 74,949 72,068 2,881 3.8

4,006 3,664

342 8.5

4,005 3,605

400 10.0

Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry

10,257 9,718 539 5.3 12,086 11,722 364 3.0 10,734 9,709 1,025 9.5 4,826 4,502 324 6.7 64,274 62,937 1,337 2.1

10,202 9,667

535 5.2

12,073 11,742

331 2.7

10,141 9,610

531 5.2

4,756 4,472

284 6.0

64,275 62,981 1,294 2.0

9,978 9,508

470 4.7

12,011 11,640

371 3.1

9,963 9,473

490 4.9

4,702 4,396

306 6.5

63,532 62,139 1,393 2.2

Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis

51,663 50,320 1,343 2.6 5,098 4,825 273 5.4 23,753 22,939 814 3.4 4,977 4,758 219 4.4 5,338 5,011 327 6.1

51,430 50,134 1,296 2.5

4,966 4,751

215 4.3

23,532 22,712

820 3.5

4,931 4,715

216 4.4

5,255 4,935

320 6.1

52,712 50,364 2,348 4.5

4,934 4,697

237 4.8

23,002 22,383

619 2.7

4,857 4,647

210 4.3

5,169 4,877

292 5.6

15

Georgia Labor Force Estimates by County (not seasonally adjusted)

Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older

County
Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar

Preliminary March 2001

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

7,408 6,804 604 8.2 4,698 4,436 262 5.6 3,679 3,451 228 6.2 12,045 11,650 395 3.3 6,660 6,358 302 4.5

Revised February 2001

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

7,318 4,598 3,625 11,967 6,596

6,714 4,351 3,413 11,607 6,310

604 8.3 247 5.4 212 5.8 360 3.0 286 4.3

Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln

3,651 22,404 11,953 18,254
3,206

3,510 21,538 11,509 17,296
2,868

141 3.9 866 3.9 444 3.7 958 5.2 338 10.5

3,592 22,227 11,974 18,141
3,056

3,479 21,370 11,475 17,239
2,840

113 3.1 857 3.9 499 4.2 902 5.0 216 7.1

Long Lowndes Lumpkin McDuffie McIntosh

3,917 3,815 102 2.6 44,033 42,433 1,600 3.6 11,426 11,193 233 2.0
9,924 9,188 736 7.4 4,646 4,407 239 5.1

3,905 43,637 11,340
9,862 4,597

3,803 42,052 11,108
9,163 4,363

102 2.6 1,585 3.6
232 2.0 699 7.1 234 5.1

Macon

5,790 5,304 486 8.4

Madison

13,826 13,286 540 3.9

Marion

3,530 3,367 163 4.6

Meriwether

9,675 8,910 765 7.9

Miller

3,207 3,048 159 5.0

5,541 13,711 3,454 9,510 3,101

5,165 13,287
3,317 8,858 2,960

376 6.8 424 3.1 137 4.0 652 6.9 141 4.5

Mitchell

12,272 11,643 629 5.1

Monroe

8,749 8,404 345 3.9

Montgomery 3,864 3,538 326 8.4

Morgan

7,493 7,256 237 3.2

Murray

20,395 19,643 752 3.7

11,998 8,707 3,784 7,398 20,393

11,396 8,367 3,494 7,128 19,592

602 5.0 340 3.9 290 7.7 270 3.6 801 3.9

Muscogee

84,965 81,531 3,434 4.0

Newton

31,098 29,997 1,101 3.5

Oconee

13,598 13,359 239 1.8

Oglethorpe

6,386 6,156 230 3.6

Paulding

43,752 42,828 924 2.1

85,103 31,116 13,579 6,271 43,855

81,670 30,018 13,360 6,086 42,858

3,433 4.0 1,098 3.5
219 1.6 185 3.0 997 2.3

Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk

11,108 10,699 409 3.7 11,374 11,019 355 3.1 7,762 7,467 295 3.8 6,709 6,429 280 4.2 17,793 16,795 998 5.6

11,044 11,401 7,635 6,625 17,698

10,659 11,027 7,332 6,391 16,739

385 3.5 374 3.3 303 4.0 234 3.5 959 5.4

Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph

4,647 9,754 1,563 7,930 3,622

4,466 9,403 1,487 7,400 3,157

181 3.9 351 3.6
76 4.9 530 6.7 465 12.8

4,575 9,748 1,577 7,574 3,557

4,392 9,321 1,471 7,350 3,096

183 4.0 427 4.4 106 6.7 224 3.0 461 13.0

16

Revised March 2000

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

7,273 4,937 3,598 12,974 6,620

6,625 4,307 3,365 11,660 6,206

648 630 233 1,314 414

8.9 12.8
6.5 10.1
6.3

3,624 22,490 11,886 17,921
3,097

3,426 21,031 11,413 16,913
2,799

198 5.5 1,459 6.5
473 4.0 1,008 5.6
298 9.6

3,902 44,070 11,154
9,592 4,560

3,731 41,411 10,929 9,086 4,300

171 4.4 2,659 6.0
225 2.0 506 5.3 260 5.7

5,612 13,391
3,436 9,313 3,120

5,136 13,072
3,278 8,703 2,948

476 8.5 319 2.4 158 4.6 610 6.5 172 5.5

12,097 8,965 3,824 7,348
19,777

11,300 8,212 3,447 7,056 19,211

797 6.6 753 8.4 377 9.9 292 4.0 566 2.9

85,412 30,757 13,350 6,159 43,283

80,957 29,617 13,145 6,001 42,285

4,455 5.2 1,140 3.7
205 1.5 158 2.6 998 2.3

11,329 11,167 7,530 6,601 17,097

10,708 10,879 7,259 6,277 16,423

621 5.5 288 2.6 271 3.6 324 4.9 674 3.9

4,576 9,507 1,523 7,419 3,341

4,343 9,171 1,453 7,241 3,070

233 5.1 336 3.5
70 4.6 178 2.4 271 8.1

Georgia Labor Force Estimates by County (not seasonally adjusted)

County
Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven Seminole
Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot
Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell
Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen
Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson
Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington
Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield
Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth

Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older

Preliminary March 2001

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number

Rate

80,205 76,087 4,118 5.1

40,217 39,165 1,052 2.6

1,880 1,786

94 5.0

6,195 5,725 470 7.6

4,924 4,689 235 4.8

30,212 28,689 1,523 5.0 12,169 11,498 671 5.5 2,516 2,333 183 7.3 15,694 14,750 944 6.0 3,056 2,888 168 5.5

886

821

65 7.3

7,476 7,020 456 6.1

3,804 3,661 143 3.8

4,883 4,610 273 5.6

4,181 3,886 295 7.1

21,964 20,984 980 4.5 21,059 20,126 933 4.4 12,518 11,622 896 7.2 4,381 4,260 121 2.8 2,798 2,610 188 6.7

31,500 30,082 1,418 4.5 4,372 3,940 432 9.9 4,230 4,006 224 5.3 7,923 7,679 244 3.1 12,528 11,881 647 5.2

32,641 30,594 16,348 2,847 9,997

30,729 29,631 15,518 2,527 9,462

1,912 963 830 320 535

5.9 3.1 5.1 11.2 5.4

11,772 11,240 532 4.5

1,171 1,120

51 4.4

2,115 1,927 188 8.9

9,314 9,028 286 3.1

48,961 47,028 1,933 3.9

3,359 3,213 146 4.3 5,764 5,240 524 9.1 4,719 4,509 210 4.5 9,568 8,997 571 6.0

Revised February 2001

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

79,895 75,880 4,015 5.0

40,251 39,192 1,059 2.6

1,855 1,768

87 4.7

6,063 5,621

442 7.3

4,778 4,558

220 4.6

Revised March 2000

Labor Employ- Unemployment

Force

ment Number Rate

80,068 75,244 4,824 6.0

39,691 38,668 1,023 2.6

1,837 1,741

96 5.2

5,994 5,568

426 7.1

4,755 4,539

216 4.5

29,993 28,709 1,284 4.3

12,141 11,438

703 5.8

2,482 2,299

183 7.4

15,457 14,579

878 5.7

3,030 2,864

166 5.5

29,644 28,325 1,319 4.4

11,749 11,238

511 4.3

2,419 2,273

146 6.0

15,245 14,381

864 5.7

3,050 2,819

231 7.6

840 7,278 3,719 4,807 4,060

803 6,797 3,597 4,529 3,792

37 4.4 481 6.6 122 3.3 278 5.8 268 6.6

858 7,501 3,770 4,891 4,028

797 6,780 3,560 4,484 3,768

61 7.1 721 9.6 210 5.6 407 8.3 260 6.5

21,612 20,689 12,393 4,382 2,703

20,740 19,803 11,478 4,224 2,578

872 4.0 886 4.3 915 7.4 158 3.6 125 4.6

21,448 20,585 12,585 4,313 2,814

20,546 19,584 11,324 4,167 2,543

902 1,001 1,261
146 271

4.2 4.9 10.0 3.4 9.6

31,214 4,257 4,213 7,828 12,317

29,973 3,825 3,991 7,554 11,823

1,241 432 222 274 494

4.0 10.1
5.3 3.5 4.0

30,779 29,428 1,351 4.4

4,122 3,816

306 7.4

4,376 4,009

367 8.4

7,763 7,483

280 3.6

12,447 11,618

829 6.7

31,955 30,822 16,265 2,776 9,907

30,689 29,651 15,416 2,498 9,376

1,266 1,171
849 278 531

4.0 3.8 5.2 10.0 5.4

31,623 30,716

907 2.9

30,304 29,255 1,049 3.5

15,778 15,165

613 3.9

2,640 2,462

178 6.7

9,717 9,230

487 5.0

11,711 11,159

552 4.7

1,136 1,090

46 4.0

2,037 1,892

145 7.1

9,245 8,930

315 3.4

48,569 46,870 1,699 3.5

11,522 10,982

540 4.7

1,128 1,084

44 3.9

2,074 1,874

200 9.6

9,226 8,814

412 4.5

47,152 45,996 1,156 2.5

3,295 5,485 4,678 9,332

3,148 5,178 4,491 8,782

147 4.5 307 5.6 187 4.0 550 5.9

3,294 5,410 4,701 9,273

3,121 5,106 4,406 8,721

173 5.3 304 5.6 295 6.3 552 6.0

17

New Developments

Suzuki Manufacturing of America Corporation
recently held a groundbreaking for its new all-terrain vehicle (ATV) manufacturing facility in Rome. Suzuki's new $30 million ATV plant will be located on a 35-acre tract in Berry Corporate Center. The new plant should be completed by the end of the year and equipment will be moved in during December. The company expects to begin production in the spring of 2001 and will employ 150 workers in its first year of operation. According to Suzuki, that number is expected to rise to about 300 employees by 2005, giving an economic boost to Floyd County.
Federal-Mogul Power Train Systems is expanding
in LaGrange. Federal-Mogul manufactures automobile engine pistons and small engines. At a cost of $15 million, the company's expansion is a result of demand for a piston for the new Nissan V-8 motor and a general increasing demand for its product. Besides pistons, the company also produces small motors for General Motors, Tecumseh and Kawasaki. Federal-Mogul has annual sales of $7 billion and operates 170 plants in 55 countries. The company, which currently has 182 employees, is expected to add 60-70 employees by September in Troup County.
Cingular Wireless is expanding its workforce at its
customer service center and will transform it into a technical support center in Cedartown. Cingular, the nation's second-largest wireless carrier, plans to consolidate the customer service functions by transferring its existing customer service jobs to six new customer service support centers the company will open nationwide. The company will move an equal number of technical support jobs to the Cedartown center and has given the current Cedartown employees the option of moving to one of the new customer service centers, remaining in Cedartown and being trained for one of the new technical support positions or applying for another job at Cingular Wireless or BellSouth, one of Cingular's parent companies. Currently Cingular has about 250 customer service jobs that will be transferred from the Cedartown center. Cingular will move about 300 technical support jobs into that facility, which could possibly be as many as 350 technical support jobs in Polk County.

Newton Granite and Marble recently announced
an expansion of its operations in Palmetto. The $6 million expansion will include 38,250 square feet of additional space and a 3,000-square-foot showroom. Newton Granite produces a number of natural stone products, including countertops, vanity tops, mantles and railings. The company maintains a large fabrication area with the latest in stone fabrication equipment and an environmentally controlled slab warehouse for customers to view the product. The expansion is expected to be completed by June 15 and is projected to bring 50 to 75 additional jobs to Coweta County.
The Avenue Peachtree City, located at the inter-
section of Georgia Highways 54 and 74, recently opened its doors in Peachtree City. The Avenue, an open-air "Main Street" style shopping mall brings about 20 upscale retailers to the metro area region south of Fulton and Clayton counties. Merchants at the new shopping mall include GAP, GapKids, Banana Republic, Talbots and Talbots Petites, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, Ann Taylor Loft, Jos. A. Bank, Ritz Carnera, Starbucks, Bombay Company, Stride Rite, Chico's, Claire's Boutique, The Children's Place and Yankee Candle. Other stores set to open in the coming months include Williams-Sonoma, Kirkland's Home, Thomas Kinkade Galleries, Atlanta Bread Company, Beard & Company, Marble Slab Creamery, Mud Pies and Harry's in a Hurry. At 167,000 square feet, The Avenue is Atlanta-based Cousins Properties' third open-air style mall. The first "Avenue" opened in 1999 in east Cobb at Roswell and Johnson roads. The recent opening on March 29 was the first day of a "soft opening" for the new mall and that will be followed by a grand opening in May in Fayette County.
Dollar General recently greeted about 600 custom-
ers during its grand opening in Ellaville. The grand opening festivities featured an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, free refreshments and a special "giveaway" of free fly swatters. Dollar General carries a wide variety of merchandise, too many of which to give a short description. The new 8,000-square-foot store, located on Highway 19 at 4079 South Broad Street, is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday
in Schley County.

18

Georgia Unemployment Rates by County

March 2001

Dade Catoosa

Fannin

Towns

Union

Rabun

Whitfield

Walker

Murray Gilmer

Chattooga

Gordon

Pickens

Floyd

Bartow Cherokee

White Lumpkin
Dawson Hall
Forsyth

Habersham
Stephens
Banks Franklin

Jackson Madison

Hart Elbert

10% or greater 3.7% to 9.9% Less than 3.7%

Polk Haralson

Cobb Paulding
Douglas

Gwinnett Barrow Clarke

Oconee Oglethorpe

DeKalb

Walton

Rock-

Wilkes

Lincoln

Carroll

Fulton Clayton

dale Newton

Morgan Greene Taliaferro

Columbia

Heard

Fayette

Henry

Coweta

Spalding Butts Jasper

Putnam

Hancock

McDuffie Warren
Glascock

Richmond

Troup

Meriwether

Pike

Lamar Monroe

Jones Baldwin

Jefferson Washington

Burke

Harris

Upson Bibb

Talbot

Crawford

Wilkinson Twiggs

Johnson

Jenkins Emanuel

Screven

Muscogee

Taylor

Peach

Marion Chattahoo-

Houston Bleckley Macon

Laurens Treutlen

Candler Bulloch Effingham

chee

Schley Stewart Webster Sumter

Dooly

Pulaski Dodge Wilcox

Montgomery Wheeler Toombs

Evans

Tattnall

Bryan Chatham

Crisp

Telfair

Quitman Randolph Terrell Lee

Turner

Ben Hill

Jeff Davis Appling

Liberty Long

Clay Calhoun Dougherty

Early Miller

Baker Mitchell

Worth Colquitt

Irwin Tift

Coffee

Berrien Atkinson

Cook

Lanier

Seminole Decatur

Grady Thomas Brooks

Lowndes

Clinch

Echols

Bacon

Wayne

Pierce

Ware

Brantley

McIntosh Glynn

Charlton

Camden

Georgia's Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
19

Georgia Unemployment Insurance Claims by County

County

March Average Initial Weekly Average Claims Benefit Duration

County

March Average Initial Weekly Average Claims Benefit Duration

Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur DeKalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel

102 ...... $199 ...... 8.2 107 ...... $169 ...... 7.0
89 ...... $180 ...... 7.4 24 ...... $180 ...... 8.4 296 ...... $173 .... 10.4 109 ...... $199 ...... 5.7 255 ...... $206 ...... 7.9 425 ...... $213 ...... 7.0 265 ...... $130 ...... 9.3 59 ...... $171 ...... 6.2 716 ...... $166 .... 10.7 50 ...... $184 ...... 7.8 87 ...... $195 .... 10.8 69 ...... $182 .... 10.1 49 ...... $182 ...... 8.4 122 ...... $164 .... 11.3 163 ...... $163 ...... 6.8 104 ...... $189 .... 10.7 42 ...... $154 .... 10.1 67 ...... $186 ...... 9.9 27 ...... $179 .... 10.6 917 ...... $191 ...... 8.7 334 ...... $217 ...... 5.8 20 ...... $170 ...... 7.7 472 ...... $183 .... 10.7 14 ...... $197 .... 12.0 188 ...... $194 ...... 6.6 353 ...... $223 ...... 8.1 399 ...... $194 ...... 8.4 24 ...... $179 ...... 8.4 830 ...... $209 .... 10.4 43 ...... $195 .... 12.2 1419 ...... $227 .... 11.4 224 ...... $180 ...... 7.0 191 ...... $160 ...... 9.5 179 ...... $193 ...... 9.5 107 ...... $167 ...... 7.6 627 ...... $208 ...... 8.4 54 ...... $191 ...... 8.7 270 ...... $144 ...... 8.1 32 ...... $199 ...... 3.9 49 ...... $212 ...... 7.4 167 ...... $164 ...... 7.0 2101 ...... $212 .... 10.6 122 ...... $168 ...... 9.2 121 ...... $142 ...... 9.3 409 ...... $165 .... 11.3 219 ...... $220 .... 10.7 30 ...... $155 ...... 8.7 31 ...... $224 ...... 5.6 85 ...... $207 ...... 8.6 370 ...... $181 ...... 7.0 88 ...... $162 ...... 9.3

Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin McDuffie McIntosh Macon Madison Marion Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Morgan Montgomery Murray Muscogee

29 ...... $173 .... 10.2 234 ...... $184 ...... 5.8 199 ...... $230 ...... 9.9 788 ...... $201 ...... 6.6 152 ...... $232 ...... 8.8 240 ...... $201 ...... 6.5 2550 ...... $208 .... 11.2 157 ...... $196 ...... 5.6
43 ...... $183 ...... 6.2 244 ...... $182 .... 11.3 629 ...... $214 ...... 5.9 436 ...... $194 ...... 7.1 148 ...... $159 ...... 7.1 1610 ...... $228 .... 10.0 391 ...... $188 ...... 5.6 663 ...... $207 ...... 5.5 205 ...... $149 ...... 8.5 171 ...... $198 ...... 9.1 120 ...... $186 ...... 8.1 551 ...... $184 ...... 5.5 163 ...... $202 ...... 6.8 271 ...... $206 ...... 9.9 219 ...... $188 .... 10.2
70 ...... $159 ...... 7.2 176 ...... $206 ...... 6.8
51 ...... $186 ...... 7.7 111 ...... $203 ...... 5.6 143 ...... $167 ...... 9.3 97 ...... $148 ...... 9.5 36 ...... $167 ...... 9.4 94 ...... $190 .... 11.2 135 ...... $187 ...... 7.6 59 ...... $178 ...... 9.6 176 ...... $154 ...... 7.4 107 ...... $202 ...... 8.9 85 ...... $175 .... 11.7 282 ...... $193 ...... 6.4 11 ...... $151 .... 12.7 533 ...... $177 .... 10.8 123 ...... $222 ...... 4.0 423 ...... $187 ...... 6.4 40 ...... $168 .... 13.5 124 ...... $168 ...... 8.5 216 ...... $192 ...... 7.5 32 ...... $185 ...... 7.2 328 ...... $178 ...... 8.1 34 ...... $185 ...... 5.8 189 ...... $152 .... 10.8 145 ...... $194 ...... 9.4 81 ...... $181 ...... 9.8 85 ...... $188 ...... 9.1 406 ...... $205 ...... 4.8 761 ...... $180 ...... 9.9

Initial claims include intrastate initial and additional claims, as well as agent state initial and additional claims for regular UI only. Average duration of benefits is represented in weeks.
20

County

March Average Initial Weekly Average Claims Benefit Duration

Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth

223 ...... $192 ...... 8.8 81 ...... $213 ...... 8.5 77 ...... $191 ...... 6.5
202 ...... $220 .... 10.0 108 ...... $169 ...... 8.5 125 .......$211 ...... 6.9
72 ...... $163 ...... 8.3 107 ...... $201 ...... 7.9 434 ...... $202 ...... 5.7
55 ...... $159 ...... 9.3 177 ...... $169 ...... 7.4
0 ...... $272 .... 16.7 238 ...... $206 ...... 4.6 289 ...... $174 ...... 8.8 695 ...... $170 ...... 9.8 193 ...... $213 .... 10.7
21 ...... $136 .... 10.1 188 ...... $184 ...... 8.3
49 ...... $162 ...... 9.1 512 ...... $188 ...... 8.5 389 ...... $198 ...... 5.6
35 ...... $189 ...... 9.9 185 ...... $149 ...... 8.6
50 ...... $175 .... 10.4 38 ...... $175 ...... 7.1 58 ...... $149 .... 14.7 68 ...... $159 ...... 7.3 82 ...... $172 ...... 8.4 72 ...... $171 ...... 8.9 176 ...... $169 ...... 9.8 185 ...... $155 ...... 8.5 156 ...... $176 .... 11.6 52 ...... $151 ...... 7.9 39 ...... $186 .... 10.2 994 ...... $200 ...... 6.5 274 .......$112 ...... 9.1 49 ...... $172 .... 10.5 65 ...... $169 ...... 8.1 416 ...... $178 ...... 6.0 707 ...... $201 ...... 5.3 181 ...... $196 ...... 8.4 232 ...... $155 ...... 9.0 282 ...... $180 ...... 6.2 121 ...... $145 .... 10.3 95 ...... $192 ...... 9.1 9 ...... $203 ...... 7.3 64 ...... $173 ...... 8.1 101 ...... $193 ...... 7.2 849 ...... $199 ...... 5.3 60 ...... $162 ...... 7.2 359 ...... $198 ...... 6.2 64 ...... $185 ...... 9.3 95 ...... $159 ...... 8.8

Unemployment Insurance Statistics

Weeks 10.0

Average duration of benefits
Last 12 months

9.5

9.4 9.4 9.3

9.2 9.1 9.1 9.0

9.0

8.8

8.7

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.4

8.0

7.5

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

00

01

Unemployment insurance initial claims

Thousands 90

2000 -- 2001

80

2001

2000

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Trust fund balance experiences largest over-the-month decrease since 1992...

The trust fund balance, $1,809,788,086 in March, decreased $37,229,717 from February. This represents the largest overthe-month decline in the trust fund since January 1992, when the fund balance dropped $38,147,000.
Over the year, the fund balance fell over $99 million (5.2%), shrinking from March 2000's trust fund balance of $1,909,093,624. As expected, the fund balance has been in decline since the middle of last year due to the tax holiday, coupled with increases in the amount of benefits paid. Georgia's average tax rate remains the lowest in the nation, with over 40 percent of all employers at a 0.00 tax rate.
The total number of new claims filed for unemployment compensation decreased between February 2001 and March 2001 by 8.6 percent, from 45,681 in February to 41,771 in March. Although new claims dropped over the month, this represents the first time in eight years that new claims have reached the 40,000 plateau during the month of March. In 1993, initial claims for March totaled 41,968. Over the year, new claims increased 17,499 from March 2000's figure of 24,272, a growth of 72.1 percent. Continued weeks claimed were also down over the month, with March's total of 194,310 representing a minimal drop of 1.0 percent. Over the year, continued weeks claimed were up 49.8 percent.

lowed a similar pattern to benefits paid, with manufacturing representing the highest total of weeks paid for a major industry division during March, totaling 31,064. Services followed closely behind manufacturing with a figure of 28,869. Wholesale trade, as well as the finance, insurance & real estate division, experienced the largest percent increases in the number of weeks paid over the month, expanding 7.5 percent.
First payments dropped 12.8 percent over the month, from 19,060 in February to 16,615 in March. Final payments, 3,648 during March, dipped 0.7 percent from February's total of 3,674. Over the year, first payments surged upward 46.4 percent while final payments grew 25.5 percent. The total number of beneficiaries, 61,542 for the month, fell 5.5 percent over the month while escalating 62.0 percent from last March's total of 37,984. The average duration of benefits experienced its first increase since February 2000, when the average duration grew from 9.3 weeks to 9.5 weeks. During March, the average crept up to 8.5 weeks, a slight jump from February's figure of 8.4 weeks. Over the year, the average duration of benefits diminished 9.6 percent from March 2000's average duration of 9.4 weeks. The average weekly benefit amount rose $1.08 from February's figure of $216.29. This month's average of $217.37 represents a 4.8 percent increase over last year.

Benefits paid, as well as weeks paid, went virtually unchanged over the month, with the total amount of benefits paid for March ($37,643,200) edging up two-tenths of a percentage point and the total number of weeks paid for the month (173,178) falling three-tenths of a percent. The highest total of benefit payouts for a major industry division once again took place in the manufacturing industry, with $7,214,477 being paid to separated workers. The manufacturing amount represents a downturn of 8.9 percent in benefit payouts over the month, but a growth of 85.5 percent in benefits paid over the year. The service industry followed closely behind manufacturing with $6,157,157 being paid out to separated workers during March. This figure represents a jump of 5.2 percent from February 2001 and an increase of 51.6 percent from March 2000. Wholesale trade experienced the largest percent increase in benefits paid during the month, expanding 9.2 percent to a total of $1,272,308. Weeks paid fol-

Key Trends

Mar 2001

Mar 2000

Initial claims filed .............................. 41,177 ................... 24,272

Persons receiving benefits ............... 61,542 ................... 37,984 Average weekly benefit amount ..... $217.37 ................. $207.33 Benefits paid ........................... $37,643,200 .......... $23,659,655

Employer taxes received* ......... $1,342,637 ............ $1,340,959 Trust fund balance ..............$1,809,788,086 ...... $1,909,093,624

*Minus refunds to employers

21

Got Questions?

?

!

Get Answers!

Free access to reliable workforce information http://quickstats.dol.state.ga.us/
22

WI&A Customer Satisfaction Team

We are proud to serve you. Please contact any team member should you need assistance regarding any of our products or publications.

Employment

Unemployment

Other Workforce Information Areas

Jan Mayo or Lili Stern: Current Employment by industry for State and MSAs, hours and earnings

Bill Webb: Civilian Labor Force Statistics for State, MSAs and local areas plus Mass Layoff Statistics

Faye Duzan: The Workforce Investment Act and LMI, & training needs

Ann Hunter: Employment and Wages for State, MSAs and counties
Occupational & Career Information
Ridley Hubbard: Occupational employment, forecasts and wages
Elaine Hayes: Occupational Employment Surve

Mark Watson: Unemployment Insurance Claims and issues
Electronic Delivery
Kenneth King: QuickStats!
Corey Smith: QuickSource!
Winston Connally: User Applications

Cheryl Totton: Local Statistics, Affirmative Action & Economic Indicators
Nancy Murphy: General Information on the Workforce Information and Analysis Division

The WI&A Customer Satisfaction Team: Committed To Total Customer Satisfaction Through Outstanding Customer Service

Workforce.Info@dol.state.ga.us (404) 656-3177



Upcoming Events
Press Release Dates
April
Unemployment Insurance Claims .............. May 10
Georgia Unemployment Rate/ Non-farm Employment .... May 17
Civilian Labor Force/Area Unemployment Rates ........ May 24
May
Unemployment Insurance Claims ................ June 7
Georgia Unemployment Rate/ Non-farm Employment ....June 14
Civilian Labor Force/Area Unemployment Rates ........June 21

Let us hear from you!
t Moved (Please provide the correct mailing address below.) t Please remove my name from your mailing list. t I'm interested in other types of information (please explain).
Name: ________________________________________________
New Address: __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
Comments/Suggestions/Requests: ____________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
Please return this form to: Customer Satisfaction Team, 223 Courtland Street, NE, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30303; or fax info to (404) 651-9568; or email info
to Workforce.Info@dol.state.ga.us 23

Georgia Department of Labor Workforce Information & Analysis 148 Andrew Young International Boulevard, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1751
Return Service Requested