Metro Brunswick’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 5.7 Percent in October

The Georgia Department of Labor announced recently that Metro Brunswick’s unemployment rate in October was 5.7 percent, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 5.4 percent in September. The rate in October 2015 was 5.8 percent.
The rate rose as the numbers of new layoffs and unemployed people increased and the jobs declined.
Initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, rose by 710, or 210.1 percent, to 1,048 in October. Most of the increase came in accommodations and food services and administrative and support services. . Over the year, claims were up by 779, or 289.6 percent, from 269 in October 2015.
The number of unemployed residents increased by 133 to 2,944, while the number employed decreased by 337 to 48,458. The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed but actively looking for jobs, declined by 204 to 51,402.
The number of jobs decreased by 400, or 0.9 percent, to 42,800. Most of the job losses came in the service industries, along with local government and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.
Over the year, the area gained 200 jobs, a 0.5 percent growth rate. Most of the job gains came in federal and local government.
Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 7 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for October was 5.2 percent, up from 5.1 percent in September. It was 5.5 percent in October 2015.
Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, Employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In October, 493 new job openings in Brunswick were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 70,200 new job openings were posted.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov.
To learn more about career opportunities, Employgeorgia.com and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers, and to connect with us on social media, visit dol.georgia.gov.