August 2019: Polk County lowers rate in August

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Polk County’s unemployment rate fell in August.

Polk also saw fewer unemployment claims filed. Preliminary numbers also showed that Polk’s labor force and number of employed residents fell for the month.

“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 Polk, the unemployment rate fell in August by 0.1 percentage points, settling at 3.8 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.3 percent.

The labor force decreased in August by 89. The total was 18,277. That number is down by 67 from the total of August 2018.

Polk ended August with 17,583 employed residents.  The number decreased by 67 in August and went up by 28 as compared to last August.

The number of unemployment claims decreased in August by about 32 percent. When compared to last August, claims were down by about 13 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 111 active job postings in Polk for August.