Northwest Georgia's jobless rate rose to 5.9 percent in February, up three-tenths of a percent from January, the Georgia Department of Labor announced today.
Still, the rate in February 2015 was 6.2 percent, the department said.
Also, metro Dalton's unemployment rate dropped to 6.4 percent in February, down eight-tenths of a percent from January, the state said.
The Northwest Georgia rate rose because the number of unemployed residents increased by 1,254, as the labor force grew 3,070.
But, in metro Dalton, the rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers as measured by the number of initial claims filed for unemployment insurance.
Meanwhile, Georgia's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for February was 5.4 percent, unchanged from January. It was 6.2 percent in February 2015, the department said.