Jobs and work force increase in metro Rome

ATLANTA – State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said today metro Rome’s jobs, employment and labor force numbers grew in November.

Meanwhile monthly unemployment insurance claims rose slightly.

“This is a very good jobs report,” Butler said. “The number of jobs continues to increase and people are getting those jobs. A temporary increase in claims doesn’t change our growing, dynamic economy. The long-term trends are good.”

Metro Rome posted 41,700 jobs in November, up by 400 from a revised 41,300 in October. The job growth came in the private servicerelated industries such as trade, transportation and warehousing, and local government.

Since November 2016, metro Rome has posted 300 new jobs, a 0.7 percent growth rate. Over-the-year job growth came in education and health services.

The number of employed residents rose by 86 to 42,015. From November a year ago, the number of employed residents was up by 575 from 41,440.

The area’s labor force, which includes the total number of residents with jobs and those unemployed but looking for work, is up by 82 in November. The labor force, at 44,064, is up by 218 since November 2016.

Unemployment claims were up by 74 percent to 388. Claims were up in manufacturing. When compared to last November, claims were up by 29 percent from 300.

The November unemployment rate, at 4.7 percent, was unchanged from October. The November rate compares favorably to last November when the rate was 5.5 percent.

In Gordon County, November’s estimated unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.4 percent, up from October’s revised rate of 4.2 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 459 new active job postings in metro Rome for November.

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