August 2019: Coastal Georgia lowers initial claims

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Coastal Georgia region had fewer initial claims for unemployment filed in August.

Preliminary numbers also showed the 10-county region post annual growth in labor force and employed residents.

“Georgia had another strong month in August,” said Butler. “The state set several records. Our local communities saw fewer unemployment claims filed as well as a drop in unemployment rates.”

Nationally, the unemployment rate was unchanged in August at 3.7 percent. The nation also grew its labor force, increased the number of employed residents and added more 130,000 jobs.

Georgia’s unemployment rate also held constant in August, staying at 3.6 percent.  A year ago, Georgia’s unemployment rate sat at 3.8 percent. The state’s all-time low of 3.4 percent was set in December 2000.

Rates fell or held steady across 10 of Georgia’s 12 planning regions.

In Coastal Georgia, the unemployment rate stayed flat in August, maintaining at 3.7 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.9 percent.

The labor force decreased in August by 1,551. The August total was 332,292. That number is up by 1,228 from the total from August 2018.

Coastal Georgia ended August with 319,958 employed residents.  The number decreased by 1,633 in August and was up by 1,930 as compared to last August.

The number of unemployment claims decreased in August by about 27 percent. When compared to last August, claims were down by about 3 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 4,987 active job postings in Coastal Georgia for August.

The Coastal region includes Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Screven counties.