GDOL: Gordon adds to labor force

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Gordon County added more to its labor force in December.

At the same time, the county added more employed residents and maintained strong annual numbers in most major indicators, as seen in preliminary numbers.

“Georgia finished the year strong by continuing to add jobs in all major sectors,” Butler said. “Moving forward, we need to attract more people to the workforce, so we can fill these great jobs.”

In Gordon County, the unemployment rate increased by 0.7 percentage points in December, settling at 3.4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4 percent.

The labor force in Gordon County increased by 244 in December, bringing the total to 28,175. The number has increased by 145 when compared to the same month a year ago.

Gordon County gained 39 employed residents in December, bringing the total to 27,204. The number is up 296 for the year.

Claims for unemployment insurance were up by about 226 percent in December. They were up by about 59 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 484 active job postings in Gordon County for December.