March 2002 Data Highlights Job increases .......................... page 2 Job market shows positive signs. Retail trade and services add workers. Georgia's unemployment rate up one-tenth percentage point in March............................ page 10 Georgia's unemployment rate increased slightly, however it was still better than the nation's rate in March. In the Southeast, Georgia continued its dominance despite its slight over-the-month increase. Spotlight: Service Delivery Region Three ....................... Page 12 Demographic change and economic growth are prominent in SDR Three. New Developments.................. Page 18 Initial claims totals down from February to March... ..............Page 21 Monthly new claims figures down 12.8 percent in metro Atlanta area. WI&A Customer Satisfaction Team .................. page 23 Volume XXVIII, 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 Blvd., N.E. 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 Employers continue tentative hiring For the second straight month, workers were added to Georgia payrolls. Nonagricultural employment grew 12,900 in March, bringing just a bit of hope that the job losses of late are beginning to turn around, albeit weakly. An average March job gain, however, post-1991 recession, would be almost 30,000 workers, so it is not yet time to declare the recession/ slowdown over for the jobs market. Once again, there were some positive and hopeful signs in March. For the second straight month, personnel services added employment, an impressive 7,300 jobs. The industry had been in steep decline since August 2001, until the latest back-to-back increases. The performance of this key "firsthired, first-fired" industry remains critical to a robust recovery in Georgia. Another bright spot was retail trade, which added 4,600 jobs during the month. A strong increase of 6,500 in eating and drinking establishments was partially offset by a drop of 2,000 jobs in food stores. Food stores remain a volatile area within trade, as fierce competition continues to weed out weaker companies. Retail giant WalMart is quickly grabbing a bigger piece of the grocery pie in Georgia, forcing long-time companies to cut prices and sharpen profit margins to be able to stay competitive. The closing of so many K-Mart stores in the state has had a negative impact on general merchandise stores, and, with the exception of a few new mall openings, no other large chains seem poised to enter the market. Electronic and computer stores and office supply firms also are 2 in thousands 270 Eating and drinking places employment 265 260 255 250 245 240 235 01 02 230 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug S ep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar in thousands 330 Personnel supply services employment 320 310 300 290 280 270 01 02 260 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar finding themselves competing for those few customers/companies willing to upgrade equipment during the current slowdown. Slower sales have forced some chains to look at debt restructuring for relief. Although most of the major players in the market will undoubtedly survive, some of the underperforming stores may not. Amusement and recreation services added seasonal workers in March, as the warm-weather season opened at a number of large facilities. State government began to add a few seasonal workers to prepare parks and campgrounds for the yearly spring and summer onslaught of users. Dimensions - Measuring Georgia's Workforce Although construction did not lose employment in March, the sector seems ill-equipped to break the pattern of job declines that began July 2001. Although some construction-re- lated indicators are on the rise (i.e., residential construction building permits), the built-in lag time between obtaining the permit and breaking ground has not yet been met. Some other ar- in thousands 4000 Total nonfarm employment in Georgia 3950 3900 eas, such as apartment-building, have definitely fallen off, as existing ones struggle with high vacancy rates and are forced into giveaways (i.e., no deposit, or one or two months free) to fill even those units. If the Northern Arc in Atlanta is ratified, there would be a flurry of activity and hiring in heavybuilding construction. Manufacturing lost workers in March, due to a limited strike in aircraft manufacturing. Negotiations continued between the union and company into the month of April. 3850 01 02 3800 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Ninetthjooubsagnrdoswth 5303.00 4352.00 40.0 310 33.6 35.0 3300.0 Personnel Msuaprpclhyjsoebrvgircoewstehmployment 42.2 33.3 28.9 27.0 25.0 290 20.0 1258.00 12.9 1207.00 5.0 01 02 206.00 Jan F9e7b Mar Apr98 May Jun 99Jul Aug S0e0p Oct Nov01 Dec Jan 02Feb Mar Georgia did add a few jobs in 2001, due to job growth in the first and second quarters of that year. As the year went by, however, the recession/slowdown began to sink its teeth into the state's economy, and job losses multiplied. With job production predicted to be weak in 2002, at least two renowned economic forecasters have predicted that the state will end the year with job losses for the first time since the 1991 recession. For Georgia to buck those predictions and add jobs in 2002, robust second-quarter employment gains must occur in such key areas as business services, construction, retail trade, trucking and warehousing and durable goods manufacturing. One thing is certain for the unemployed: only a job will convince them this slowdown/recession is over. For more information, please contact David Echols at (404) 656-3177 or (800) 338-2082 Fax (404) 651-9568 Email: David.Echols@dol.state.ga.us Produced by the Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics 3 Georgia Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 Net % Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Mining Construction Manufacturing Durable goods Lumber and wood products Furniture and fixtures 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 Chemicals and allied products Other nondurable goods Service producing Transportation and public utilities Transportation Communications Electric, gas, and sanitary services Trade Wholesale trade Retail trade General merchandise Food stores Eating and drinking places Finance, insurance, real estate Finance Insurance Real estate Services Hotels and other lodging Business services Personnel supply Computer and D.P. services Amusement, recreation Health services Hospitals Educational services Social services Engineering and management Other services Total government Total federal governement Department of defence Total state governement State education Total local governement Local education 3,862.1 731.7 7.3 189.2 535.2 236.5 37.2 11.8 20.9 13.9 22.7 38.7 33.0 41.5 16.8 298.7 69.5 90.7 16.6 30.3 41.0 22.7 27.9 3,130.4 248.4 145.9 77.6 24.9 934.6 240.0 694.6 91.1 96.5 251.3 206.5 94.9 71.4 40.2 1,127.3 42.4 295.3 111.8 73.6 37.2 262.6 111.0 60.9 63.8 96.1 269.0 613.6 97.2 27.7 149.3 64.4 367.1 224.4 3,849.2 734.6 7.2 189.2 538.2 239.6 37.4 11.7 20.8 14.2 23.1 38.2 33.4 44.3 16.5 298.6 68.7 90.8 16.9 30.1 41.3 23.1 27.7 3,114.6 249.0 145.7 78.4 24.9 933.0 243.0 690.0 91.7 98.6 244.8 206.6 94.9 71.5 40.2 1,114.9 42.2 287.6 104.5 73.6 35.0 262.9 110.2 60.5 63.5 96.2 267.0 611.1 97.0 27.6 148.8 64.3 365.3 223.2 3,973.6 769.1 7.7 198.4 563.0 245.3 38.2 11.7 21.5 13.6 25.3 39.2 33.3 45.3 17.2 317.7 71.6 96.3 22.2 30.8 43.4 22.1 31.3 3,204.5 267.5 161.5 83.5 22.5 964.3 250.4 713.9 96.1 103.8 255.1 206.0 95.4 71.1 39.5 1,157.3 46.8 324.3 131.6 79.9 32.9 251.6 105.9 62.4 59.3 97.9 282.1 609.4 96.1 27.7 150.7 63.5 362.6 224.0 +12.9 -2.9 +.1 +.0 -3.0 -3.1 -.2 +.1 +.1 -.3 -.4 +.5 -.4 -2.8 +.3 +.1 +.8 -.1 -.3 +.2 -.3 -.4 +.2 +15.8 -.6 +.2 -.8 +.0 +1.6 -3.0 +4.6 -.6 -2.1 +6.5 -.1 +.0 -.1 +.0 +12.4 +.2 +7.7 +7.3 +.0 +2.2 -.3 +.8 +.4 +.3 -.1 +2.0 +2.5 +.2 +.1 +.5 +.1 +1.8 +1.2 +0.3 -0.4 +1.4 +0.0 -0.6 -1.3 -0.5 +0.9 +0.5 -2.1 -1.7 +1.3 -1.2 -6.3 +1.8 +0.0 +1.2 -0.1 -1.8 +0.7 -0.7 -1.7 +0.7 +0.5 -0.2 +0.1 -1.0 +0.0 +0.2 -1.2 +0.7 -0.7 -2.1 +2.7 +0.0 +0.0 -0.1 +0.0 +1.1 +0.5 +2.7 +7.0 +0.0 +6.3 -0.1 +0.7 +0.7 +0.5 -0.1 +0.7 +0.4 +0.2 +0.4 +0.3 +0.2 +0.5 +0.5 -111.5 -2.8 -37.4 -4.9 -.4 -5.2 -9.2 -4.6 -27.8 -4.9 -8.8 -3.6 -1.0 -2.6 +.1 +0.9 -.6 -2.8 +.3 +2.2 -2.6 -10.3 -.5 -1.3 -.3 -0.9 -3.8 -8.4 -.4 -2.3 -19.0 -6.0 -2.1 -2.9 -5.6 -5.8 -5.6 -25.2 -.5 -1.6 -2.4 -5.5 +.6 +2.7 -3.4 -10.9 -74.1 -2.3 -19.1 -7.1 -15.6 -9.7 -5.9 -7.1 +2.4 +10.7 -29.7 -3.1 -10.4 -4.2 -19.3 -2.7 -5.0 -5.2 -7.3 -7.0 -3.8 -1.5 +.5 +0.2 -.5 -0.5 +.3 +0.4 +.7 +1.8 -30.0 -2.6 -4.4 -9.4 -29.0 -8.9 -19.8 -15.0 -6.3 -7.9 +4.3 +13.1 +11.0 +4.4 +5.1 +4.8 -1.5 -2.4 +4.5 +7.6 -1.8 -1.8 -13.1 -4.6 +4.2 +0.7 +1.1 +1.1 +.0 +0.0 -1.4 -0.9 +.9 +1.4 +4.5 +1.2 +.4 +0.2 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 2001 benchmark. Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis 4 Recovery Watch - Key Industries Construction employment in thousands 215 Durable goods manufacturing employment in thousands 250 210 245 205 240 200 195 190 185 01 02 180 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 235 230 01 02 225 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Business services employment in thousands 330 in thousands 740 Retail trade employment 320 730 310 720 300 710 290 700 280 01 02 270 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 690 01 02 680 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Transportation employment in thousands 165 Wholesale trade employment in thousands 255 160 250 155 245 150 145 01 02 140 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 240 01 02 235 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 5 Atlanta Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 Net % Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Mining Construction Manufacturing Durable goods Electronic equipment Transportation equipment Other durable goods Nondurable goods Food and kindred products Printing and publishing Other nondurable goods Service producing industries Transportation and public utilities Transportation Communications and public utilities Trade Wholesale trade Retail trade General merchandise Food stores Eating and drinking Miscellaneous retail Finance, insurance, and real estate Finance Insurance Real estate Services Hotels and other lodging places Business services Personnel supply Computer and D.P. services Amusement, including movies Health services Hospitals Social services Engineering and management Other services Total government Total federal governement Total state governement Total local governement 2,127.7 319.9 1.9 111.1 206.9 101.9 15.6 16.6 69.7 105.0 24.6 26.3 54.1 1,807.8 176.7 102.7 74.0 539.1 158.3 380.8 44.9 50.5 139.5 43.5 141.6 61.1 50.6 29.9 671.7 23.8 206.6 76.7 58.3 31.8 133.1 58.9 35.0 70.7 170.7 278.7 48.4 56.9 173.4 2,120.5 326.3 1.9 112.9 211.5 105.9 15.9 19.2 70.8 105.6 24.6 26.4 54.6 1,794.2 176.3 102.3 74.0 537.9 160.3 377.6 45.0 52.0 135.7 44.0 141.4 60.8 50.7 29.9 660.6 23.7 201.2 71.7 58.2 30.1 132.6 58.5 34.7 70.8 167.5 278.0 48.4 56.9 172.7 2,198.2 336.0 2.0 118.9 215.1 107.2 17.2 19.3 70.7 107.9 25.5 28.2 54.2 1,862.2 192.2 116.7 75.5 567.7 169.7 398.0 49.8 55.7 144.0 48.8 141.5 63.4 50.8 27.3 685.9 27.4 227.3 85.3 66.4 28.2 127.3 55.4 32.5 71.0 172.2 274.9 47.8 55.7 171.4 +7.2 -6.4 +.0 -1.8 -4.6 -4.0 -.3 -2.6 -1.1 -.6 +.0 -.1 -.5 +13.6 +.4 +.4 +.0 +1.2 -2.0 +3.2 -.1 -1.5 +3.8 -.5 +.2 +.3 -.1 +.0 +11.1 +.1 +5.4 +5.0 +.1 +1.7 +.5 +.4 +.3 -.1 +3.2 +.7 +.0 +.0 +.7 +0.3 -2.0 +0.0 -1.6 -2.2 -3.8 -1.9 -13.5 -1.6 -0.6 +0.0 -0.4 -0.9 +0.8 +0.2 +0.4 +0.0 +0.2 -1.2 +0.8 -0.2 -2.9 +2.8 -1.1 +0.1 +0.5 -0.2 +0.0 +1.7 +0.4 +2.7 +7.0 +0.2 +5.6 +0.4 +0.7 +0.9 -0.1 +1.9 +0.3 +0.0 +0.0 +0.4 -70.5 -3.2 -16.1 -4.8 -.1 -5.0 -7.8 -6.6 -8.2 -3.8 -5.3 -4.9 -1.6 -9.3 -2.7 -14.0 -1.0 -1.4 -2.9 -2.7 -.9 -3.5 -1.9 -6.7 -.1 -0.2 -54.4 -2.9 -15.5 -8.1 -14.0 -12.0 -1.5 -2.0 -28.6 -5.0 -11.4 -6.7 -17.2 -4.3 -4.9 -9.8 -5.2 -9.3 -4.5 -3.1 -5.3 -10.9 +.1 +0.1 -2.3 -3.6 -.2 -0.4 +2.6 +9.5 -14.2 -2.1 -3.6 -13.1 -20.7 -9.1 -8.6 -10.1 -8.1 -12.2 +3.6 +12.8 +5.8 +4.6 +3.5 +6.3 +2.5 +7.7 -.3 -0.4 -1.5 -0.9 +3.8 +1.4 +.6 +1.3 +1.2 +2.2 +2.0 +1.2 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 2001 benchmark. Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis 6 Albany Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 NET % Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Construction and Mining Manufacturing Durable goods Nondurable goods Service producing industries Transportation, communications, and public utilities Trade Wholesale trade 55.0 54.5 56.6 10.2 10.1 11.5 2.8 2.8 3.4 7.4 7.3 8.1 1.1 1.0 1.3 6.3 6.3 6.8 44.8 44.4 45.1 3.4 3.4 3.4 12.7 12.5 13.1 2.6 2.7 2.7 +.5 +0.9 +.1 +1.0 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +1.4 +.1 +10.0 +.0 +0.0 +.4 +0.9 +.0 +0.0 +.2 +1.6 -.1 -3.7 -1.6 -2.8 -1.3 -11.3 -.6 -17.6 -.7 -8.6 -.2 -15.4 -.5 -7.4 -.3 -0.7 +.0 +0.0 -.4 -3.1 -.1 -3.7 Retail trade 10.1 9.8 10.4 +.3 +3.1 -.3 -2.9 Finance, insurance, and real estate 1.7 1.7 1.7 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 Services 15.1 14.9 15.0 +.2 +1.3 +.1 +0.7 Government Federal State and local 11.9 11.9 11.9 2.5 2.5 2.7 9.4 9.4 9.2 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 -.2 -7.4 +.2 +2.2 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 2001 benchmark. Athens Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 Net % Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Construction and mining Manufacturing Durable goods Nondurable goods Service producing industries 73.0 12.8 3.2 9.6 5.0 4.6 60.2 73.0 12.6 3.1 9.5 5.0 4.5 60.4 72.1 13.9 3.0 10.9 5.0 5.9 58.2 +.0 +0.0 +.2 +1.6 +.1 +3.2 +.1 +1.1 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +2.2 -.2 -0.3 +.9 -1.1 +.2 -1.3 +.0 -1.3 +2.0 +1.2 -7.9 +6.7 -11.9 +0.0 -22.0 +3.4 Transportation, communications, and public utilities Trade Wholesale trade Retail trade Finance, insurance, and real estate Services Government Federal State and local 1.9 16.7 2.8 13.9 2.4 18.0 21.2 1.9 19.3 1.9 17.0 2.8 14.2 2.4 18.1 21.0 1.9 19.1 1.9 16.8 2.6 14.2 2.3 17.1 20.1 1.7 18.4 +.0 +0.0 -.3 -1.8 +.0 +0.0 -.3 -2.1 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.6 +.2 +1.0 +.0 +0.0 +.2 +1.0 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.6 +.2 +7.7 -.3 -2.1 +.1 +4.3 +.9 +5.3 +1.1 +5.5 +.2 +11.8 +.9 +4.9 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 2001 benchmark. Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis 7 Augusta-Aiken Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 Net % Total nonagricultural employment 198.8 198.5 202.0 +.3 +0.2 -3.2 -1.6 Goods producing industries 39.7 40.2 42.0 -.5 -1.2 -2.3 -5.5 Construction and Mining 12.5 13.0 12.7 -.5 -3.8 -.2 -1.6 Manufacturing 27.2 27.2 29.3 +.0 +0.0 -2.1 -7.2 Durable goods 11.8 11.8 12.6 +.0 +0.0 -.8 -6.3 Nondurable goods 15.4 15.4 16.7 +.0 +0.0 -1.3 -7.8 Textile mill products 3.8 3.8 4.6 +.0 +0.0 -.8 -17.4 Other nondurable goods 11.6 11.6 12.1 +.0 +0.0 -.5 -4.1 Service producing industries 159.1 158.3 160.0 +.8 +0.5 -.9 -0.6 Transportation, communications, and public utilities 17.2 17.2 17.3 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -0.6 Trade 42.6 42.5 42.0 +.1 +0.2 +.6 +1.4 Wholesale trade 4.5 4.5 4.6 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -2.2 Retail trade 38.1 38.0 37.4 +.1 +0.3 +.7 +1.9 Finance, insurance, and real estate 6.3 6.3 6.0 +.0 +0.0 +.3 +5.0 Services 52.9 52.4 53.6 +.5 +1.0 -.7 -1.3 Government 40.1 39.9 41.1 +.2 +0.5 -1.0 -2.4 Federal 6.9 6.7 7.3 +.2 +3.0 -.4 -5.5 State and local 33.2 33.2 33.8 +.0 +0.0 -.6 -1.8 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 2001 benchmark. Columbus Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 Net % Total nonagricultural employment 118.4 117.8 117.0 +.6 +0.5 +1.4 +1.2 Goods producing industries 25.2 25.1 24.9 +.1 +0.4 +.3 +1.2 Construction and mining 5.6 5.6 5.4 +.0 +0.0 +.2 +3.7 Manufacturing 19.6 19.5 19.5 +.1 +0.5 +.1 +0.5 Durable goods 8.0 7.7 8.5 +.3 +3.9 -.5 -5.9 Nondurable goods 11.6 11.8 11.0 -.2 -1.7 +.6 +5.5 Textile mill products 5.0 5.1 5.0 -.1 -2.0 +.0 +0.0 Other nondurable goods 6.6 6.7 6.0 -.1 -1.5 +.6 +10.0 Service producing industries 93.2 92.7 92.1 +.5 +0.5 +1.1 +1.2 Transportation, communications, and public utilities 3.8 3.8 4.1 +.0 +0.0 -.3 -7.3 Trade 24.1 23.8 24.4 +.3 +1.3 -.3 -1.2 Wholesale trade 2.6 2.6 2.8 +.0 +0.0 -.2 -7.1 Retail trade 21.5 21.2 21.6 +.3 +1.4 -.1 -0.5 Finance, insurance, and real estate 8.8 8.8 8.4 +.0 +0.0 +.4 +4.8 Services 35.0 34.8 33.9 +.2 +0.6 +1.1 +3.2 Government 21.5 21.5 21.3 +.0 +0.0 +.2 +0.9 Federal 5.3 5.4 5.6 -.1 -1.9 -.3 -5.4 State and local 16.2 16.1 15.7 +.1 +0.6 +.5 +3.2 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 2001 benchmark. Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis 8 Macon Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 Net % Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Mining Construction Manufacturing Durable goods Nondurable goods Food and kindred products Other nondurable goods Service producing industries Transportation, communications, and public utilities Trade Wholesale trade Retail trade Finance, insurance, and real estate Services Government Federal State and local 147.3 26.4 .5 6.2 19.7 9.3 10.4 3.0 7.4 120.9 5.4 31.9 4.7 27.2 8.4 41.2 34.0 14.6 19.4 146.1 26.4 .5 6.2 19.7 9.2 10.5 3.0 7.5 119.7 5.4 31.3 4.4 26.9 8.4 40.7 33.9 14.6 19.3 146.8 24.9 .8 5.4 18.7 9.0 9.7 2.7 7.0 121.9 5.8 33.0 4.6 28.4 8.7 40.4 34.0 14.1 19.9 +1.2 +.0 +.0 +.0 +.0 +.1 -.1 +.0 -.1 +1.2 +0.8 +0.0 +0.0 +0.0 +0.0 +1.1 -1.0 +0.0 -1.3 +1.0 +.0 +0.0 +.6 +1.9 +.3 +6.8 +.3 +1.1 +.0 +0.0 +.5 +1.2 +.1 +0.3 +.0 +0.0 +.1 +0.5 +.5 +1.5 -.3 +.8 +1.0 +.3 +.7 +.3 +.4 -1.0 +0.3 +6.0 -37.5 +14.8 +5.3 +3.3 +7.2 +11.1 +5.7 -0.8 -.4 -6.9 -1.1 -3.3 +.1 +2.2 -1.2 -4.2 -.3 -3.4 +.8 +2.0 +.0 +0.0 +.5 +3.5 -.5 -2.5 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 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 2001 benchmark. Savannah Nonagricultural Employment (000s) Preliminary Revised Revised MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change in Jobs from FEB 2002 Net % Change in Jobs from MAR 2001 Net % Total nonagricultural employment Goods producing industries Construction and mining Manufacturing Durable goods Transportation equipment Other durable goods Nondurable goods Paper and allied products Other nondurable goods Service producing industries Transportation, communications, and public utilities Trade Wholesale trade Retail trade Finance, insurance, and real estate Services Government Federal State and local 137.1 24.8 8.8 16.0 9.0 5.5 3.5 7.0 2.8 4.2 112.3 9.0 33.9 5.2 28.7 4.6 44.0 20.8 2.6 18.2 135.3 23.5 7.4 16.1 9.0 5.5 3.5 7.1 2.9 4.2 111.8 9.1 34.0 5.5 28.5 4.7 43.5 20.5 2.7 17.8 135.8 24.5 7.9 16.6 9.4 6.0 3.4 7.2 3.3 3.9 111.3 9.1 34.5 5.6 28.9 4.4 42.7 20.6 2.7 17.9 +1.8 +1.3 +1.3 +5.5 +1.4 +18.9 -.1 -0.6 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 +.0 +0.0 -.1 -1.4 -.1 -3.4 +.0 +0.0 +.5 +0.4 -.1 -1.1 -.1 -0.3 -.3 -5.5 +.2 +0.7 -.1 -2.1 +.5 +1.1 +.3 +1.5 -.1 -3.7 +.4 +2.2 +1.3 +.3 +.9 -.6 -.4 -.5 +.1 -.2 -.5 +.3 +1.0 +1.0 +1.2 +11.4 -3.6 -4.3 -8.3 +2.9 -2.8 -15.2 +7.7 +0.9 -.1 -.6 -.4 -.2 +.2 +1.3 +.2 -.1 +.3 -1.1 -1.7 -7.1 -0.7 +4.5 +3.0 +1.0 -3.7 +1.7 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 2001 benchmark. Source: Georgia Department of Labor, Workforce Information & Analysis 9 Dimensions - Measuring Georgia's Labor Force Georgia's unemployment rate up Unemployment rates, Georgia and U.S. one-tenth percentage point in March 6.0% Ge orgi a U.S . Georgia's unemployment rate was up slightly in March 2002, rising only one- tenth percentage point. Registering 4.6 5.0% percent for the month, this was the state's highest rate in more than 3 years. One year ago, the state's rate was 3.7 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate, not season- 4.0% ally adjusted, was unchanged in March 2002 at 6.1 percent, compared with 4.6 percent in March 2001. However, despite the 3.0% state's slight upward movement, Georgia's jobless rate was still better than the nation's rate in March. At 1 percentage 2.0% points below the national rate, the state's Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Se p O ct Nov De c Jan Fe b Mar rate has remained below the U.S. rate for 2002 nearly 18 months. In fact, Georgia's rate has exceeded the U.S. rate only seven times in the last 11 years. At nearly 191,000, Georgia's total unemployment count was at a 3-year-high in March. Despite a modest over-the-month centage point, to 5.4 percent, Athens climbed two-tenths percentage point, to 3.1 percent and both Columbus and Macon Georgia's civilian labor force and employment levels were both at 15-month highs in March. With nearly 4.2 million people in the labor force, the state's total count of civilian employed approached 4.0 million in March. Georgia's total civilian employment level rose over the month by nearly 17,000, or 0.4 percent. Helping to fuel the state's civilian employment increase was a 0.3 percent rise in nonagri- decline in the number of persons receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits during the March reference week, the state's total count of unemployed persons increased by just under 1,400. This increase was bolstered by an over-themonth surge in the number of new entrants, which more than doubled from February to March. There also were more reentrants into the labor force this month. rose one-tenth percentage point, to 4.5 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. Only the Augusta MSA, at 4.5 percent, declined in March. The remaining two areas, Atlanta, at 4.7 percent, and Savannah, at 3.4 percent, remained unchanged. Athens and Albany continued their long-standing status in March, posting the lowest and highest rates, respectively, of all metro areas. cultural employment, one of the major components of civilian employment. Also included in the total civilian employment count are agricultural, self-employed, unpaid family and private household workers, all of which recorded over-the-month increases in March. Area data Unemployment rates in four of Georgia's seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) followed the statewide trend and posted higher over-the-month rates in March. Albany increased four-tenths per- Of Georgia's 159 counties, 71 counties posted increases in their unemployment rates, and 71 counties declined in March. The remaining counties essentially were unchanged over the month. Taliaferro County, at 13.9 percent, had the highest county rate and was one of seven coun- ties in double-digits. Oconee County reg- Southeastern states and U.S. unemployment rates istered the lowest jobless rate of 2.0 per- Percent 9 cent in March. 8 March Fe bru ary 7 6.9 6.6 6.6 6.8 6 5.5 5.7 5.3 6.1 5.6 5.9 5.5 5.7 5.7 6.1 6.1 5 4.9 4.6 4.5 4 3 2 1 0 AL FL GA KY MS NC SC TN US Georgia's reign in the Southeast seems unending. Despite an over-the-month increase to its highest level in more than 3 years, Georgia's unemployment rate of 4.6 percent was the lowest in the Southeast for the 16th consecutive month. In March, North Carolina, at 6.6 percent, relinquished to Mississippi (6.9%) the highest-rate title it has held for the five previous months. Mississippi, with the highest rate in the region, saw an over-the-month increase of three-tenths percentage point; Mississippi and North Carolina were the only two states in the Southeast with jobless rates above the national average of 6.1 percent in March. 10 . Georgia Georgia Civilian Labor Force Estimates (not seasonally-adjusted) by Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older Employment Status Preliminary MAR 2002 Revised FEB 2002 Revised MAR 2001 Change From Revised Revised FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 4,183,949 3,993,254 190,695 4.6 4,165,951 3,976,635 189,316 4.5 4,130,528 3,977,938 152,590 3.7 17,998 16,619 1,379 53,421 15,316 38,105 Albany MSA Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 53,824 50,930 2,894 5.4 52,941 50,287 2,654 5.0 54,257 50,786 3,471 6.4 883 -433 643 144 240 -577 Athens MSA Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 75,458 73,154 2,304 3.1 75,144 72,953 2,191 2.9 72,856 70,464 2,392 3.3 314 2,602 201 2,690 113 -88 Atlanta MSA Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 2,314,671 2,206,262 108,409 4.7 2,306,768 2,199,150 107,618 4.7 2,278,523 2,210,248 68,275 3.0 7,903 7,112 791 36,148 -3,986 40,134 Augusta-Aiken, GA-SC MSA Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 209,557 200,154 9,403 4.5 209,533 199,343 10,190 4.9 206,619 198,085 8,534 4.1 24 811 -787 2,938 2,069 869 Columbus, GA-AL MSA Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 127,200 121,427 5,773 4.5 126,444 120,926 5,518 4.4 122,079 117,129 4,950 4.1 756 5,121 501 4,298 255 823 Macon MSA Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 146,887 141,421 5,466 3.7 145,352 140,143 5,209 3.6 142,785 137,379 5,406 3.8 1,535 1,278 257 4,102 4,042 60 Savannah MSA Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 140,256 135,445 4,811 3.4 138,156 133,523 4,633 3.4 134,273 130,205 4,068 3.0 2,100 1,922 178 5,983 5,240 743 United States Civilian Labor Force Estimates by Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older Area Employment Status MAR 2002 FEB 2002 MAR 2001 Change From FEB 2002 MAR 2001 United States (Seasonally adjusted) Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 142,005,000 133,894,000 8,111,000 5.7 142,211,000 134,319,000 7,891,000 5.5 141,869,000 135,808,000 6,061,000 4.3 -206,000 -425,000 220,000 136,000 -1,914,000 2,050,000 United States (Not Seasonally adjusted) Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Rate 142,092,000 133,433,000 8,659,000 6.1 142,057,000 133,349,000 8,707,000 6.1 141,751,000 135,298,000 6,453,000 4.6 35,000 84,000 -48,000 341,000 -1,865,000 2,206,000 Note: Employment includes nonagricultural wage and salary employment, self-employment, unpaid family and private household workers 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, Fulton, 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 Encircling the City of Atlanta and spreading mainly north and east from there, the ten counties that comprise Service Delivery Region Three have been at the epicenter of growth and demographic change in Georgia during the past decade. Far and away the most populous of the state's twelve SDR's, this region continues to be at the forefront in demographic change and economic growth. Home to innumerable corporate offices and a myriad of retail establishments, it is one area of the state that has successfully distanced itself from a dependence on manufacturing jobs. The suburban sprawl of the Atlanta metropolis has begun to reach even the farthest corners of the area, with commercial buildings and residential developments seeming to spring from the very soil at every turn. While population growth has been most significant in the counties closest to Atlanta proper, all have benefited from the economic boom. The very face of the citizenry has also undergone a transition, with ethnic minorities becoming an increasing factor in area demographics. The total population of SDR Three increased by more than 36 percent between the 1990 and 2000 Census counts, bettering the statewide growth rate by a full ten percentage points. With roughly 3,430,000 residents as of the 2000 Census, the area is now home to four out of every ten Georgians. Gwinnett and Fulton Counties posted the biggest net gains, but Henry grew at the fastest pace between 1990 and 2000. Historically, the area has pretty much been a microcosm of the state in terms of ethnicity, but the decade of the 90's saw that change dramatically. The percentage of the population classified as white declined from roughly 70 percent in 1990 to less than 59 percent in 2000. The number of African-Americans posted a net gain of about 420,000, going from 27 percent of the total up to about 32 percent. Persons of Asian or mixed-race descent saw their numbers more than triple over the same time frame. The Hispanic population grew even more rapidly, registering more than a 350 percent increase. The changes in ethnic makeup were pretty much universal across the ten counties of SDR Three, with each recording a significant shift in racial/ethnic balances. Gwinnett County recorded perhaps the largest shift as the number of African-Americans more than tripled, Asian and mixed races increased five-fold and Hispanics logged an increase of 657 percent between the two Census counts. Not only did local officials face increased traffic and school enrollment, they also faced the additional problem of assimilating persons from varied language and cultural backgrounds into the community. Crowded schools and neighborhoods were the downside of growth as population density increased by more than 300 additional residents per square mile. Service Delivery Region Three also experienced some dramatic changes in the economic status of its citizens between 1990 and 2000. Median household income grew by roughly $9,250 over that time frame, while per capita personal income increased by $12,420. The disparity between the two figures points to a sharp increase in residents with six figure or higher incomes. The addition of a few new millionaires affects the per capita number to a larger degree than it does the other measure. Somewhat surprisingly, the sources of income changed remarkably little over the decade. Wage and Salary incomes accounted for the lion's share at a constant 58 percent for both years. Dividends dropped its share of total income by a couple of percentage points, but was offset by a similar gain in proprietary income. Other sources of income varied only slightly between the cited years. On the down side, the number of persons living below poverty level posted a substantial net increase of 56.1 percent between the two Census periods. Coca Cola Pavillion, Fulton, Georgia 12 Spotlight: Service Delivery Region Three SDR #3 Cherokee Cobb Gwinnett Douglas DeKalb Fulton Clayton Rockdale Fayette Henry 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 Demographic changes -- 1990 to 2000 SDR 3 Total Population White Pct of Total African-American Pct of Total Other Races Pct of Total Hispanic Pct of Total Persons per Square Mile Total Personal Income (000s) Median Household Income Per Capita Income Persons in Poverty Pct of Total 1990 2000* Net change % change 2,514,066 1,758,050 69.9 681,258 27.1 74,758 3.0 54,470 2.2 841.7 $55,875,810 $38,057 $22,101 241,173 9.6 3,429,419 2,017,854 58.8 1,100,500 32.1 311,065 9.1 249,218 7.3 1,148.1 $110,198,098 $47,302 $34,521 376,369 11.0 915,353 259,804 -11.1 419,242 5.0 236,307 6.1 194,748 5.1 306.4 $54,322,288 $9,245 $12,420 135,196 1.4 36.4% 14.8% 61.5% 316.1% 357.5% 36.4% 97.2% 24.3% 56.2% 56.1% State of Georgia Total Population White Pct of Total African-American Pct of Total Other Races Pct of Total Hispanic Pct of Total Persons per Square Mile Total Personal Income (000s) Median Household Income Per Capita Income Persons in Poverty Pct of Total 6,478,149 4,600,148 71.0 1,746,565 27.0 131,436 2.0 108,922 1.7 111.9 $115,414,190 $29,021 $17,738 923,085 14.2 8,186,453 5,327,281 65.1 2,349,542 28.7 509,630 6.2 435,227 5.3 141.4 $212,806,472 $39,525 $27,324 1,203,409 14.7 1,708,304 727,133 -5.9 602,977 1.7 378,194 4.2 326,305 3.6 29.5 $97,392,282 $10,504 $9,586 280,324 0.5 * Or latest available estimate 26.4% 15.8% 34.5% 287.7% 299.6% 26.4% 84.4% 36.2% 54.0% 30.4% Personal income by source 1990 Proprietor 6% Other Labor 7% Other 8% Dividends 15% Transfers 6% Personal income by source 1999 Proprietor 8% Other Labor 6% Other 9% Dividends 13% Transfers 6% Wage & Salary 58% Wage & Salary 58% 13 Georgia Civilian Labor Force Estimates by County (not seasonally-adjusted) by Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older County Georgia Preliminary March 2002 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 4,183,949 3,993,254 190,695 4.6 Revised February 2002 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 4,165,951 3,976,635 189,316 4.5 Revised March 2001 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 4,130,528 3,977,938 152,590 3.7 Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin 8,007 7,348 659 8.2 2,668 2,502 166 6.2 4,228 3,950 278 6.6 1,598 1,523 75 4.7 16,378 15,851 527 3.2 7,999 2,693 4,180 1,590 16,307 7,309 2,481 3,927 1,511 15,806 690 8.6 212 7.9 253 6.1 79 5.0 501 3.1 8,244 2,900 4,182 1,520 16,646 7,651 2,576 3,904 1,432 16,051 593 7.2 324 11.2 278 6.6 88 5.8 595 3.6 Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan 6,394 6,126 268 4.2 22,479 21,144 1,335 5.9 41,994 39,495 2,499 6.0 8,655 8,244 411 4.7 6,075 5,775 300 4.9 70,186 67,293 2,893 4.1 5,641 5,393 248 4.4 6,339 6,046 293 4.6 7,574 7,283 291 3.8 11,555 11,234 321 2.8 6,345 22,315 41,838 8,559 6,027 6,089 21,076 39,368 8,196 5,734 256 4.0 1,239 5.6 2,470 5.9 363 4.2 293 4.9 69,390 66,685 2,705 3.9 5,573 5,371 202 3.6 6,327 6,027 300 4.7 7,506 7,252 254 3.4 11,372 11,074 298 2.6 6,324 6,085 239 3.8 22,139 21,182 957 4.3 41,504 39,566 1,938 4.7 8,806 8,311 495 5.6 6,247 5,930 317 5.1 68,486 65,370 3,116 4.5 5,719 5,564 155 2.7 6,081 5,766 315 5.2 7,561 7,277 284 3.8 11,054 10,799 255 2.3 Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden 26,013 25,157 856 3.3 8,804 8,192 612 7.0 8,616 8,185 431 5.0 2,308 2,169 139 6.0 17,001 16,467 534 3.1 25,906 8,859 8,589 2,290 16,934 25,055 8,154 8,160 2,148 16,414 851 3.3 705 8.0 429 5.0 142 6.2 520 3.1 26,238 8,776 8,845 2,411 16,731 25,606 8,233 8,379 2,229 16,096 632 2.4 543 6.2 466 5.3 182 7.5 635 3.8 Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham 4,228 4,099 129 3.1 46,267 43,870 2,397 5.2 28,337 27,676 661 2.3 3,836 3,697 139 3.6 109,609 105,664 3,945 3.6 4,212 4,071 141 3.3 45,988 43,729 2,259 4.9 28,233 27,541 692 2.5 3,832 3,685 147 3.8 107,965 104,164 3,801 3.5 3,629 3,482 147 4.1 46,585 43,950 2,635 5.7 27,567 26,738 829 3.0 3,752 3,614 138 3.7 104,854 101,576 3,278 3.1 Chattahoochee 2,453 2,289 164 6.7 Chattooga 10,711 10,370 341 3.2 Cherokee 84,935 81,919 3,016 3.6 Clarke 47,526 46,010 1,516 3.2 Clay 1,421 1,367 54 3.8 2,415 10,662 84,606 47,271 1,423 2,277 10,336 81,655 45,884 1,355 138 5.7 326 3.1 2,951 3.5 1,387 2.9 68 4.8 2,325 2,197 128 5.5 11,054 10,500 554 5.0 83,652 82,067 1,585 1.9 45,925 44,318 1,607 3.5 1,496 1,404 92 6.1 Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt 130,296 123,006 7,290 5.6 2,703 2,613 90 3.3 372,023 356,638 15,385 4.1 19,022 18,242 780 4.1 17,962 17,152 810 4.5 129,596 122,609 6,987 5.4 2,697 2,596 101 3.7 370,418 355,489 14,929 4.0 19,005 18,135 870 4.6 17,924 17,034 890 5.0 127,567 123,228 4,339 3.4 3,112 2,845 267 8.6 366,119 357,283 8,836 2.4 19,602 18,431 1,171 6.0 18,546 17,436 1,110 6.0 Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp 45,753 44,555 1,198 2.6 7,757 7,443 314 4.0 48,006 46,007 1,999 4.2 5,935 5,677 258 4.3 9,047 8,547 500 5.5 45,681 7,715 47,732 5,930 9,032 44,408 7,404 45,859 5,657 8,487 1,273 2.8 311 4.0 1,873 3.9 273 4.6 545 6.0 44,826 43,875 951 2.1 7,654 7,319 335 4.4 47,889 46,090 1,799 3.8 5,910 5,717 193 3.3 9,230 8,732 498 5.4 14 Georgia Civilian Labor Force Estimates by County (not seasonally-adjusted) by Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older County Dade Dawson Decatur DeKalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel 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 Preliminary March 2002 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 7,957 7,646 311 3.9 9,723 9,343 380 3.9 10,867 10,163 704 6.5 374,688 354,281 20,407 5.4 9,474 9,142 332 3.5 4,230 4,020 210 5.0 42,381 39,850 2,531 6.0 54,048 51,882 2,166 4.0 4,716 4,441 275 5.8 1,259 1,200 59 4.7 19,092 18,547 545 2.9 8,699 8,194 505 5.8 7,829 7,358 471 6.0 4,994 4,808 186 3.7 8,979 8,664 315 3.5 52,288 50,958 1,330 2.5 45,140 43,117 2,023 4.5 57,199 55,172 2,027 3.5 10,345 9,940 405 3.9 420,854 397,386 23,468 5.6 8,327 7,939 388 4.7 989 928 61 6.2 35,641 34,639 1,002 2.8 20,948 19,821 1,127 5.4 8,891 8,530 361 4.1 6,122 5,327 795 13.0 354,456 339,986 14,470 4.1 15,605 14,998 607 3.9 75,852 73,273 2,579 3.4 3,503 3,147 356 10.2 9,833 9,231 602 6.1 12,361 11,940 421 3.4 9,462 8,887 575 6.1 5,114 4,850 264 5.2 65,313 63,002 2,311 3.5 50,119 48,649 1,470 2.9 4,678 4,404 274 5.9 22,603 21,455 1,148 5.1 4,909 4,706 203 4.1 5,158 4,538 620 12.0 Revised February 2002 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 7,875 7,609 266 3.4 9,768 9,371 397 4.1 10,771 10,104 667 6.2 373,881 353,139 20,742 5.5 9,419 9,133 286 3.0 Revised March 2001 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 7,553 7,387 166 2.2 9,060 8,863 197 2.2 11,057 10,322 735 6.6 367,681 354,921 12,760 3.5 9,660 9,235 425 4.4 4,200 41,657 53,739 4,670 1,251 3,991 39,347 51,715 4,404 1,195 209 5.0 2,310 5.5 2,024 3.8 266 5.7 56 4.5 4,403 4,107 296 6.7 42,746 39,737 3,009 7.0 53,391 51,976 1,415 2.7 4,753 4,477 276 5.8 1,260 1,199 61 4.8 18,818 8,688 7,810 4,995 8,964 18,284 8,152 7,330 4,780 8,641 534 2.8 536 6.2 480 6.1 215 4.3 323 3.6 18,366 9,039 8,199 5,120 9,212 17,830 8,260 7,733 4,943 8,827 536 2.9 779 8.6 466 5.7 177 3.5 385 4.2 52,129 50,793 1,336 2.6 52,046 51,050 996 1.9 44,866 42,999 1,867 4.2 44,642 42,574 2,068 4.6 57,085 54,994 2,091 3.7 56,190 55,272 918 1.6 10,418 9,888 530 5.1 10,263 9,722 541 5.3 418,716 396,105 22,611 5.4 412,776 398,104 14,672 3.6 8,292 1,001 35,547 20,894 8,824 7,895 923 34,514 19,744 8,473 397 4.8 78 7.8 1,033 2.9 1,150 5.5 351 4.0 8,182 7,897 285 3.5 999 955 44 4.4 34,929 33,697 1,232 3.5 21,683 20,101 1,582 7.3 9,113 8,621 492 5.4 6,066 5,300 766 12.6 5,685 5,313 372 6.5 354,468 338,890 15,578 4.4 348,879 340,600 8,279 2.4 15,484 14,923 561 3.6 15,723 14,990 733 4.7 75,786 73,254 2,532 3.3 75,266 73,110 2,156 2.9 3,473 3,135 338 9.7 3,791 3,338 453 11.9 9,806 12,305 9,506 5,075 65,075 9,209 11,879 8,844 4,850 62,799 597 6.1 426 3.5 662 7.0 225 4.4 2,276 3.5 9,831 11,825 10,118 5,045 64,425 9,301 11,463 9,107 4,728 63,116 530 5.4 362 3.1 1,011 10.0 317 6.3 1,309 2.0 49,633 4,589 22,523 4,897 5,043 48,209 4,378 21,353 4,693 4,512 1,424 2.9 211 4.6 1,170 5.2 204 4.2 531 10.5 48,561 47,259 1,302 2.7 4,703 4,439 264 5.6 22,944 22,147 797 3.5 5,008 4,791 217 4.3 4,904 4,587 317 6.5 15 Georgia Civilian Labor Force Estimates by County (not seasonally-adjusted) by Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older County Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Preliminary March 2002 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 6,950 6,350 600 8.6 4,087 3,914 173 4.2 3,182 2,946 236 7.4 11,654 11,263 391 3.4 6,452 5,903 549 8.5 Revised February 2002 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 6,942 4,284 3,168 11,545 6,411 6,320 3,902 2,930 11,161 5,900 622 9.0 382 8.9 238 7.5 384 3.3 511 8.0 Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln 3,474 3,388 86 2.5 22,285 21,364 921 4.1 11,443 11,080 363 3.2 18,857 18,000 857 4.5 2,744 2,481 263 9.6 3,483 22,225 11,284 18,835 2,748 3,374 21,278 10,940 17,952 2,467 109 3.1 947 4.3 344 3.0 883 4.7 281 10.2 Long Lowndes Lumpkin McDuffie McIntosh 4,113 3,971 142 3.5 42,338 40,962 1,376 3.3 10,839 10,512 327 3.0 10,189 9,292 897 8.8 4,486 4,349 137 3.1 4,116 42,132 10,841 9,847 4,487 3,960 40,789 10,512 9,262 4,331 156 3.8 1,343 3.2 329 3.0 585 5.9 156 3.5 Macon 5,334 4,944 390 7.3 Madison 14,051 13,535 516 3.7 Marion 3,111 2,972 139 4.5 Meriwether 8,862 8,226 636 7.2 Miller 3,010 2,898 112 3.7 5,280 14,020 3,090 8,819 3,005 4,906 13,497 2,954 8,223 2,876 374 7.1 523 3.7 136 4.4 596 6.8 129 4.3 Mitchell 11,477 10,951 526 4.6 Monroe 7,848 7,489 359 4.6 Montgomery 3,611 3,330 281 7.8 Morgan 7,462 7,135 327 4.4 Murray 19,734 18,888 846 4.3 11,405 7,944 3,612 7,430 19,739 10,879 7,487 3,314 7,092 18,887 526 4.6 457 5.8 298 8.3 338 4.5 852 4.3 Muscogee 86,833 83,046 3,787 4.4 Newton 31,581 30,028 1,553 4.9 Oconee 13,881 13,609 272 2.0 Oglethorpe 6,258 6,010 248 4.0 Paulding 44,478 42,872 1,606 3.6 86,145 31,406 13,853 6,207 44,311 82,618 29,931 13,572 5,982 42,734 3,527 4.1 1,475 4.7 281 2.0 225 3.6 1,577 3.6 Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk 10,790 10,343 447 4.1 11,519 11,030 489 4.2 7,629 7,348 281 3.7 6,992 6,612 380 5.4 17,971 16,947 1,024 5.7 10,676 11,449 7,583 6,944 18,051 10,250 10,995 7,303 6,610 16,949 426 4.0 454 4.0 280 3.7 334 4.8 1,102 6.1 Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph 4,415 4,196 219 5.0 9,893 9,522 371 3.8 1,275 1,200 75 5.9 7,433 7,226 207 2.8 3,155 2,865 290 9.2 4,416 9,897 1,267 7,406 3,095 4,188 9,510 1,198 7,189 2,842 228 5.2 387 3.9 69 5.4 217 2.9 253 8.2 Revised March 2001 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 7,050 4,186 3,194 11,322 6,379 6,455 3,930 2,973 10,941 6,077 595 8.4 256 6.1 221 6.9 381 3.4 302 4.7 3,520 22,118 11,511 18,664 3,092 3,385 21,267 11,049 17,731 2,753 135 3.8 851 3.8 462 4.0 933 5.0 339 11.0 4,008 42,482 10,760 9,879 4,522 3,912 40,926 10,537 9,150 4,288 96 2.4 1,556 3.7 223 2.1 729 7.4 234 5.2 5,517 13,580 3,411 8,956 3,022 5,046 13,037 3,253 8,214 2,867 471 8.5 543 4.0 158 4.6 742 8.3 155 5.1 11,855 7,661 3,623 7,307 19,600 11,220 7,328 3,301 7,066 18,836 635 5.4 333 4.3 322 8.9 241 3.3 764 3.9 83,076 31,154 13,351 6,237 43,856 79,729 30,082 13,109 6,005 42,950 3,347 4.0 1,072 3.4 242 1.8 232 3.7 906 2.1 10,439 11,406 7,627 6,609 17,061 10,048 11,050 7,338 6,324 16,091 391 3.7 356 3.1 289 3.8 285 4.3 970 5.7 4,326 9,592 1,290 7,780 3,202 4,151 9,257 1,218 7,218 2,740 175 4.0 335 3.5 72 5.6 562 7.2 462 14.4 16 Georgia Civilian 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 by Place of Residence - Persons 16 Years and Older Preliminary March 2002 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 80,967 76,947 4,020 5.0 40,765 39,205 1,560 3.8 1,849 1,757 92 5.0 5,287 4,950 337 6.4 4,648 4,431 217 4.7 Revised February 2002 Labor Force 80,840 40,666 1,839 5,248 4,616 Employment 76,694 39,079 1,755 4,917 4,396 Unemployment Number Rate 4,146 5.1 1,587 3.9 84 4.6 331 6.3 220 4.8 Revised March 2001 Labor Employ- Unemployment Force ment Number Rate 79,781 75,773 4,008 5.0 40,297 39,276 1,021 2.5 1,794 1,702 92 5.1 5,790 5,337 453 7.8 4,825 4,593 232 4.8 30,589 28,719 1,870 6.1 11,460 10,923 537 4.7 2,210 2,107 103 4.7 14,678 13,654 1,024 7.0 2,678 2,524 154 5.8 30,346 11,553 2,198 14,572 2,668 28,626 10,884 2,094 13,584 2,519 1,720 5.7 669 5.8 104 4.7 988 6.8 149 5.6 30,316 28,770 1,546 5.1 11,524 10,841 683 5.9 2,305 2,121 184 8.0 14,424 13,509 915 6.3 2,826 2,660 166 5.9 757 6,712 3,726 4,023 3,963 652 6,395 3,523 3,612 3,605 105 13.9 317 4.7 203 5.4 411 10.2 358 9.0 735 6,696 3,703 3,998 3,939 646 6,339 3,501 3,586 3,577 89 12.1 357 5.3 202 5.5 412 10.3 362 9.2 688 6,893 3,797 4,301 3,872 627 6,453 3,657 4,034 3,577 61 8.9 440 6.4 140 3.7 267 6.2 295 7.6 21,595 20,807 788 3.6 19,722 18,966 756 3.8 11,768 10,939 829 7.0 4,034 3,925 109 2.7 2,624 2,457 167 6.4 21,501 19,570 11,742 4,007 2,605 20,702 18,855 10,885 3,903 2,444 799 3.7 715 3.7 857 7.3 104 2.6 161 6.2 21,589 20,069 11,708 3,950 2,616 20,639 19,156 10,843 3,825 2,435 950 4.4 913 4.5 865 7.4 125 3.2 181 6.9 32,195 30,467 1,728 5.4 4,522 4,163 359 7.9 4,138 3,873 265 6.4 8,172 7,908 264 3.2 12,163 10,737 1,426 11.7 31,960 4,516 4,108 8,103 12,298 30,371 4,129 3,838 7,853 10,698 1,589 5.0 387 8.6 270 6.6 250 3.1 1,600 13.0 32,032 30,627 1,405 4.4 4,436 3,998 438 9.9 3,978 3,762 216 5.4 7,919 7,676 243 3.1 11,553 10,918 635 5.5 33,096 32,108 988 3.0 30,891 29,661 1,230 4.0 14,735 14,077 658 4.5 2,772 2,448 324 11.7 9,235 8,830 405 4.4 33,054 31,004 14,691 2,718 9,177 31,952 29,566 14,021 2,438 8,795 1,102 3.3 1,438 4.6 670 4.6 280 10.3 382 4.2 32,912 31,020 1,892 5.7 30,650 29,715 935 3.1 14,872 14,056 816 5.5 2,680 2,367 313 11.7 9,198 8,686 512 5.6 10,920 10,474 446 4.1 1,079 1,026 53 4.9 1,664 1,509 155 9.3 9,228 8,862 366 4.0 46,405 44,762 1,643 3.5 10,885 1,065 1,623 9,163 46,334 10,430 1,017 1,499 8,812 44,631 455 4.2 48 4.5 124 7.6 351 3.8 1,703 3.7 11,296 10,780 516 4.6 1,091 1,041 50 4.6 1,872 1,686 186 9.9 9,129 8,836 293 3.2 46,623 44,658 1,965 4.2 3,127 2,967 160 5.1 4,801 4,367 434 9.0 4,569 4,332 237 5.2 9,499 9,007 492 5.2 3,110 4,757 4,525 9,474 2,946 4,362 4,321 8,944 164 5.3 395 8.3 204 4.5 530 5.6 3,174 5,010 4,619 9,161 3,031 4,494 4,415 8,585 143 4.5 516 10.3 204 4.4 576 6.3 17 New Developments CallTech Communications, LLC plans to establish its newest call center in a 21,000-square-foot facility that was part of the former Wal-Mart building at 2707 Dawson Road in Albany. Based in Columbus, Ohio, CallTech is an incoming call center that provides customer service, sales and technical support by responding to calls, e-mails and instant messages. Employees at the new facility will receive in-house training, as well as training through the state's QuickStart program at Albany Technical College. One of the first customers at CallTech's Albany location will be BellSouth, where CallTech employees will assist BellSouth's DSL customers with their high-speed Internet service. The company's other clients include Abercrombie & Fitch, WorldCom, Iomega, Universal Studios Florida and Priceline.com. CallTech will also provide such services as membership sign-up and enrollment for various associations and services, third-part verification for the telephone and utility services, cancellation "rescue" services attempting to retain customers, real time customer service-technical support instant messaging (chat), bulk fax and e-mail. With four other call centers, the Albany location will be the fifth for the company. CallTech has two centers in Columbus, Ohio, one in Brownsville, PA, and one in Fort Myers, FL. Recruiting for the 166 new jobs recently began. The company hopes to begin training its new staffers by May 1 and begin operations on June 1, giving a much-needed economic lift to Dougherty County. The Ritz-Carlton recently opened its new luxury lodge at Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee in Greensboro. Located 75 miles east of Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, the low-rise design of the facility offers guests three accommodation buildings, a Main House, a Conference Pavilion and a Spa and Fitness Center. The new $125 million complex is the only lodge in the group of 41 RitzCarlton properties in 13 countries. Starting price on the 250-room lodge is $275 a night and the four-bedroom Presidential House will go for $6,000 a night. The lodge has a 26,000-square-foot spa and offers more than 16,000 square feet of conference and ballroom space, located in the Conference Pavilion. Other amenities include a lakeside Southern BBQ pit for outdoor functions and a Wedding Pavilion overlooking Lake Oconee for weddings and other social functions. Extensive on-site activities include 81holes of championship golf, with the resort's own Golf Academy, Antebellum Trail tours, a nearby equestrian center and clay shooting and numerous walking, hiking and biking trails. The Ritz-Carlton Lodge sits along the banks of Lake Oconee on 35 acres amidst the 7,000 acres of Reynolds Plantation. About 90 percent of the lodge's 400 employees come from nearby counties. Located in an area where the county's major private employer, Union Point, shut down last year, officials hope the new project will transform the local economy in Greene County. Beall's Outlet recently signed a lease for its newest store at the Telfair Plaza in Helena. With home offices in Bradenton, FL, Beall's Outlet is an 87-year-old company privately-owned by the Beall family and its shareholders. Beall's stores offer a wide variety of name brand apparel and footwear for men, women and children, as well as gifts and housewares for the whole family. Merchandise assortments include vendor closeouts, private label import and domestic buys and off-price lines. Beall's, Inc. is the parent company of Beall's Department Stores, Inc., Beall's Outlet Stores, Inc., Burke's Outlet Stores, Inc. and MyGiftCottage.com, Inc. The corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates more than 375 retail stores across the country with annual sales exceeding one-half billion dollars. The new store will be the 24th location in Georgia and is scheduled to open in May with eight to ten employees in Telfair County. Fred's Inc. recently announced plans to build a new distribution center on Ga. 257 in Dublin. Fred's is a growing general merchandise chain that offers low-cost merchandise similar to Family Dollar and Dollar General stores. It has been in business for more than 50 years. The company credits its decision to locate in Dublin to the town's location relative to stores, labor force, easy access to the interstate and the overall pro-business attitude of the state. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, Fred's operates 385 stores and 206 pharmacies in 13 states throughout the Southeast. The new 600,000-square-foot distribution center will serve 125 stores in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. Construction recently began on the new $25 million facility, located on 136 acres. Plans allow for future expansion to 1 million square feet. Startup is scheduled for March 2003 and is expected to bring 150 to 250 jobs to Laurens County. H.H. Gregg Appliances & Electronics recently an- nounced plans to enter the metro Atlanta market next year, creating 600 new jobs. H.H. Gregg, a leading retailer of home appliances and consumer electronics, affirmed a site near Stonecrest Mall in Lithonia as one of several planned superstores. Although the company has plans for other locations, those sites have not been confirmed. Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, H.H. Gregg is a family-run business that operates 45 stores in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. The retailer offers brand-name electronics and appliances, from the smallest digital camcorder to the largest side-by-side refrigerator. H.H. Gregg places emphasis on customer care and satisfaction by offering fast and reliable delivery, low prices and in-stock product guarantees, certified product repair service and knowledgeable sales people. At a time when competition is high among other appliance sellers, H.H. Gregg anticipates making a significant impact in the Atlanta metro area when it opens in the spring 2003. 18 Georgia Unemployment Rates by County March 2002 Dade Catoosa Whitfield Walker Murray Chattooga Gordon Floyd Bartow Fannin Towns Union Rabun Gilmer Pickens Cherokee White Haber- Lumpkin sham Stephens Dawson Forsyth Hall Banks Franklin Jackson Madison Hart Elbert 10% or greater 4.6% to 9.9% Less than 4.6% 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 Upson Harris Talbot Bibb Wilkinson Crawford Twiggs Johnson Jenkins Emanuel Screven Muscogee Taylor Peach Marion Chattahoo- Macon Houston Bleckley Laurens Treutlen Candler Bulloch Effingham chee Schley Stewart Webster Sumter Pulaski Dodge Dooly 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: 4.6% 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 138 ..... $180 .... 12.7 87 ..... $181 .... 10.2 54 ..... $190 .... 10.7 10 ..... $159 .... 13.4 140 ..... $171 .... 13.0 62 ..... $201 ...... 9.1 276 ..... $212 .... 12.8 424 ..... $226 .... 11.0 125 ..... $182 ...... 9.5 75 ..... $177 .... 10.0 511 ..... $175 .... 12.0 107 ..... $170 ...... 7.9 75 ..... $199 .... 14.2 56 ..... $161 .... 11.3 43 ..... $201 .... 12.1 189 ..... $181 .... 11.4 138 ..... $175 .... 10.3 173 ..... $212 .... 11.2 25 ..... $171 ...... 9.6 65 ..... $193 .... 13.2 38 ..... $178 ...... 9.9 573 ..... $206 .... 12.8 121 ...... $211 ...... 8.4 17 ..... $187 .... 16.0 579 ..... $184 .... 12.8 13 ..... $145 .... 15.5 77 ..... $208 .... 21.6 554 ..... $241 .... 11.5 269 ..... $185 .... 14.1 9 ..... $190 ...... 8.6 1116 ..... $222 .... 13.2 15 ..... $174 .... 13.3 2111 ..... $242 .... 14.3 226 ..... $199 .... 10.4 240 ..... $173 ...... 8.6 170 ..... $224 .... 10.5 51 ..... $183 ...... 8.8 372 ..... $219 .... 10.7 49 ..... $196 .... 10.2 117 ..... $154 .... 12.5 129 ..... $166 ...... 5.4 58 ..... $225 .... 10.6 92 ..... $184 .... 11.9 2794 ..... $230 .... 13.7 89 ..... $168 .... 10.4 100 ..... $157 .... 12.3 379 ..... $164 .... 13.9 313 ..... $231 .... 12.9 57 ..... $167 .... 11.8 8 ..... $201 .... 15.0 59 ..... $221 .... 12.5 128 ..... $177 ...... 8.1 65 ..... $177 .... 11.2 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 25 ..... $146 .... 10.0 154 ..... $198 ...... 9.9 181 ..... $239 .... 12.2 652 ...... $211 .... 10.1 257 ..... $247 .... 12.9 137 ..... $193 .... 10.5 3223 ..... $227 .... 14.1 163 ..... $219 ...... 8.4 9 ..... $207 .... 12.1 130 ..... $194 .... 13.3 335 ..... $203 ...... 9.6 80 ..... $161 .... 13.7 117 ..... $189 .... 16.1 1987 ..... $242 .... 13.0 154 ..... $196 ...... 8.4 893 ..... $218 ...... 9.4 71 ..... $151 .... 14.1 183 ..... $202 .... 11.5 84 ..... $216 ...... 9.7 133 ..... $181 .... 10.9 89 ..... $204 ...... 9.4 391 ..... $229 .... 13.1 260 ..... $191 .... 10.9 81 ..... $199 .... 11.2 157 ..... $214 .... 12.6 49 ..... $199 ...... 8.9 171 ..... $202 .... 11.8 104 ..... $185 .... 13.6 163 ..... $172 ...... 7.0 89 ..... $147 .... 10.0 60 ..... $206 ...... 9.0 259 ..... $198 ...... 9.7 22 ..... $171 ...... 9.5 330 ..... $178 ...... 8.5 54 ..... $210 ...... 8.1 96 ..... $190 .... 13.3 30 ..... $183 .... 14.2 17 ..... $179 .... 14.6 324 ..... $172 .... 11.5 72 ..... $213 ...... 9.4 222 ..... $199 .... 11.6 24 ..... $191 .... 15.1 311 ..... $182 ...... 8.5 121 ..... $204 .... 12.2 18 ..... $193 ...... 5.7 177 ..... $188 .... 10.3 12 ..... $181 ...... 8.0 114 ..... $157 .... 13.4 121 ..... $203 .... 10.2 50 ..... $175 .... 11.5 105 ..... $188 .... 10.0 305 ..... $209 ...... 6.8 532 ..... $188 .... 11.3 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 252 ..... $215 .... 11.3 58 ..... $213 .... 11.2 38 ..... $205 .... 12.5 350 ..... $236 .... 12.8 88 ..... $178 ...... 9.9 103 ..... $227 ...... 9.9 67 ..... $188 .... 12.9 157 ..... $207 ...... 9.8 264 ..... $205 ...... 9.7 48 ..... $145 .... 12.9 88 ..... $165 .... 10.7 3 ..... $256 .... 13.8 34 ..... $201 ...... 8.9 65 ..... $161 ...... 7.9 719 ..... $180 .... 11.2 199 ..... $230 .... 12.4 22 ..... $171 ...... 8.2 81 ..... $180 ...... 8.9 31 ..... $179 .... 11.2 752 ..... $197 .... 10.3 245 ..... $200 ...... 9.1 17 ..... $157 ...... 6.2 139 ..... $170 .... 12.5 41 ..... $176 .... 11.3 16 ..... $191 .... 11.5 48 ..... $177 ...... 9.7 31 ..... $183 .... 11.4 82 ..... $185 .... 15.8 62 ..... $158 .... 10.3 198 ..... $167 .... 11.0 266 ..... $173 .... 10.5 148 ..... $186 .... 11.5 35 ..... $200 ...... 9.6 51 ..... $198 .... 10.4 551 ..... $206 ...... 8.5 171 ..... $129 ...... 8.5 77 ..... $181 .... 11.0 73 ..... $184 .... 10.3 254 ..... $186 .... 16.2 218 ..... $195 ...... 7.4 251 ..... $206 .... 10.2 161 ..... $161 .... 12.8 59 ..... $189 .... 11.9 115 ..... $170 .... 11.7 97 ..... $198 .... 11.7 10 ..... $177 ...... 7.2 26 ..... $190 .... 13.8 87 ..... $201 ...... 9.3 583 ..... $210 ...... 6.5 45 ..... $171 ...... 8.3 63 ..... $183 .... 19.2 43 ..... $200 .... 12.3 141 ..... $169 .... 11.8 Unemployment Insurance Statistics Weeks 12.0 11.5 11.0 Average duration of benefits Last 12 months 11.4 1 1 .1 10.7 10.5 1 0 .2 10.0 9.7 9.8 9.5 9.2 9.4 9.0 8.7 8.9 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.0 7.5 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 01 02 Unemployment insurance initial claims Thousands 100 2001 -- 2002 90 2002 2001 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Initial claims totals down from February to March... Unemployment insurance initial claims were down 11.9 percent from February to March, dropping from 42,764 to 37,659. March's total represents the first time since October 2000 that new claims figures fell below the 40,000 plateau. For the year, new claims decreased 4,112 from the March 2001 figure of 41,771, a dip of 9.8 percent. All metropolitan areas, with the exception of Albany where initial claims were up 5.6 percent, experienced over-the-month declines in new claims filings. The Atlanta metro area saw new claims figures fall 12.8 percent, from 19,759 in February to 17,231 during March. Though the Atlanta area experienced an over-the-month drop, initial claims were up 23.4 percent over the year. For the month, continued claims were down, falling from 325,477 in February to 313,155 in March, a decline of 3.8 percent. However, continued claims have increased 118,845 from last March, a rise of 61.2 percent. Continued weeks claimed are the counts of weeks of unemployment for which claimants certify they were unemployed after having been deemed eligible for benefits. Statistical trends regarding the total number of beneficiaries drawing unemployment benefits and the total amount of benefits paid were similar to continued weeks claimed data. During March, 83,287 beneficiaries drew $62,704,041 in benefit payments. Both figures were down when compared to February numbers, beneficiaries falling 10 percent and benefits paid dropping 5.5 percent. The total number of beneficiaries increased 33.4 percent and benefits paid grew 66.6 percent over the year. For the month, there were $11.3 million in benefit payments in the services industry ($7 million in business services), $7.3 million in manufacturing ($1.8 million in textiles), $6.4 million in trade (retail and wholesale combined) and $3.7 million in construction. The average duration of benefits climbed once again, up from 11.1 weeks in February to 11.4 weeks in March, the highest the average duration has been in nine years (the duration stood at 11.7 weeks during February 1993). Since last March, the average duration has risen 34.1 percent. The number of benefit exhaustions rose slightly from February to March, up 2.6 percent to a total of 8,557. Since March 2001, the number of laid off workers exhausting unemployment insurance benefits has escalated 134.6 percent. While it's a positive sign that current initial and continued claims statistics are on a downward trend, the high over-the-year advance in both the average duration of benefits and benefit exhaustions show that many separated workers are still having a difficult time finding employment opportunities. Statistical Trends March 2002 March 2001 Net Change Percent Change Initial Claims ............................................................ 37,659 ................................ 41,771 ................................... -4,112 ................................ -9.8% Continued Weeks Claimed .................................... 313,155 .............................. 194,310 ................................ 118,845 ............................... 61.2% Beneficiaries ............................................................ 83,287 ................................ 62,432 .................................. 20,855 ............................... 33.4% Benefits Paid .................................................. $62,704,041 ....................... $37,643,200 ......................... $25,060,841 ............................... 66.6% Weeks Paid ........................................................... 267,944 .............................. 173,178 .................................. 94,766 ............................... 54.7% First Payments ........................................................ 16,721 ................................ 16,615 ....................................... 106 ................................. 0.6% Final Payments .......................................................... 8,557 .................................. 3,648 .................................... 4,909 ............................. 134.6% Average Weekly Benefit ........................................ $234.02 .............................. $217.37 .................................. $16.65 ................................. 7.7% Average Duration (weeks) ........................................... 11.4 ...................................... 8.5 ........................................ 2.9 ............................... 34.1% Trust Fund Balance ................................... $1,597,291,129 .................. $1,809,788,086 ...................... -$212,496,957 .............................. -11.7% 21 GEORGIA Economic Indicators A Monthly Report of Georgia State Labor Market and Economic Trends March 2002 Volume 8, Issue 1 Georgia Department of Labor Michael L. Thurmond Commissioner Manufacturing Employment 607 2000-2001 2001-2002 593 580 566 553 539 F M A M J J A S O N D J New Motor Vehicle Sales 63 2000-2001 2001-2002 56 49 42 35 28 F M A M J J A S O N D J Georgia Economic Indicators Monthly updates of: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) Georgia's Index of Economic Indicators - Leading Index - Coincident Index Seasonally Adjusted Economic Indicators - Nonagricultural Employment - Retail Employment - Manufacturing Employment - Manufacturing Workweek - Weekly Manufacturing Earnings - Deflated Manufacturing Earnings - Nonagricultural Job Openings Unfilled - Initial Unemployment Claims - Continued Unemployment Claims - Unemployment Rate - Insured Unemployment Rate - New Motor Vehicle Sales - Residential Construction (building permits) - Nonresidential Construction (dollar value) - Deflated Nonresidential Construction - New Business Corporations - Total State Revenues - Deflated Total State Revenues Available in printed format or online at www.dol.state.ga.us/lmi To subscribe to this publication at no charge, please complete and mail this form Mail to: If you prefer, you may e-mail your request to bill.webb@dol.state.ga.us Bill Webb Workforce Information and Analysis Georgia Department of Labor 148 Andrew Young International Boulevard N.E. 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