Jobs report tileUnemployment rose in the Dalton, Ga., area from 7.2 percent in December to 8 percent in January due to a cutback in holiday-related jobs and temporary layoffs in the carpet and other textile industries.
Despite the monthly loss of 300 jobs at the start of 2015, Dalton still showed a healthy gain of 3,500 jobs from January 2014 to January 2015, according to a report today from the Georgia Department of Labor.
The rate in January 2014 was 9.1 percent.
There were 4,014 new claims for unemployment insurance filed during January in Dalton
Dalton's jobless rate was well above both the statewide unemployment rate of 6.4 percent and the U.S. rate of 5.7 percent in January.
Metro Dalton includes both Whitfield and Murray counties in Northwest Georgia.