Brunswick lowers unemployment rate in September

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Brunswick lowered its unemployment rate in September.

Brunswick, according to preliminary numbers, posted annual gains in jobs, labor force and employed for the three-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).

“September was a really remarkable month in our local communities,” Butler said. “Four MSAs hit their lowest all-time unemployment rate. All 12 added to their total number of employed residents. Some set records for jobs or labor force. It’s good to see most of our communities around the state performing so well.”

Nationally, the unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percentage points in September to 3.5 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 fell 0.1 percentage points in September to reach 3.5 percent.  A year ago, Georgia’s unemployment rate sat at 3.7 percent. The state’s all-time low of 3.4 percent was set in December 2000.

Rates fell across all 14 of Georgia’s 14 MSAs. Four set records for lowest rates ever.

Brunswick’s unemployment rate decreased in September by 0.2 percentage points, to settle at 3.4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.4 percent.

Brunswick ended September with 45,600 jobs. That’s a decrease of about 1,000 from last month’s total but up 500 from the job total as of a year ago.

The labor force decreased in September by 646 to reach 53,925. That number is up by 421 from the total of last year.

Brunswick ended September with 52,080 employed residents.  The number decreased by 518 in September but was up by 416 as compared to September 2018’s total.

The number of unemployment claims went up in September by about 207 percent and were up by about 275 percent from the same period last year.

The three-county MSA includes Brantley, Glynn and McIntosh counties.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 498 active job postings in metro Brunswick for September.