John Gooch files for unemployment at the Georgia Department of Labor office in Dalton, Ga.Jobless in November
Unemployment fell over the past year across Northwest Georgia * Catoosa County, 4.6 percent, down 0.9 percent from a year ago * Dade County, 4.7 percent, down 1.1 percent from a year ago * Walker County, 5.2 percent, down 1 percent from a year ago * Chattooga County, 5.2 percent, down 1.3 percent from a year ago * Whitfield County, 5.7 percent, down 1.4 percent from a year ago * Murray County, 6.8 percent, down 1.8 percent from a year ago Source: Georgia Department of Labor
Unemployment in America’s Carpet Capital fell last month to its lowest level in seven and a half years as home starts and remodeling helped revive the floorcovering industry in Northwest Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Labor said Thursday the jobless rate in metropolitan Dalton declined another three-tenths of a percentage point last month to 6.0 percent – the lowest monthly rate for Dalton since April 2008 when unemployment in Dalton was 5.7 percent.
Dalton’s jobless rate remained above the statewide average of 5.6 percent and the U.S. rate of 5.0 percent last month. But in the Dalton metro area, which includes Whitfield and Murray counties, the jobless rate has fallen in half since its peak of 13 percent in 2011.
Dalton area employers have added 900 jobs in the past year, a growth rate of 1.3 percent, from 67,600 jobs in November of 2014. Most of the increase came in manufacturing, construction and wholesale trade.
In Dalton, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 164, or 14.6 percent, to 1,291 in November. Most of the increase came in manufacturing, construction and wholesale trade. Over the year, claims were up by 166, or 14.8 percent, from 1,125 in November 2014.
Statewide, Georgia’s jobless rate also hit a 7-year low in November, falling another tenth of a percentage point to 5.6 percent. A year ago, Georgia’s jobless rate was 6.7 percent.
“Over the year, we added 92,900 jobs, which is a respectable 2.2 percent growth rate,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “Georgia continues to grow jobs faster than the nation, which has a 1.9 percent growth rate.”
Most of Georgia’s job growth is occurring in metropolitan Atlanta, which accounted for 93 percent of the growth in employment across the entire state during November.
Among Georgia’s 18 metropolitan areas, metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 6.8 percent.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfree press.com or at 423-757-6340.