Report: Big jump in NW Ga. workers

♦ The number of unemployment claims also rises in 2023.

The first employment reports for Northwest Georgia in the new year show major job growth over the past 12 months but an expected slip from the Christmas hiring season.

What that means: Floyd County saw a sizzling 44,300 jobs in December followed by 43,800 in January. Even with the 500-employee dip, Floyd’s workforce was 2,800 larger than in January 2022.

January numbers typically drop as Christmas season jobs, especially in retail, come to a close. But reports from some of our area counties show triple-digit drops from the previous month and a year earlier. Almost all were much higher than state averages.

First-time jobless claims in January include:

♦ Floyd: 933 first-time claims, up almost 69% from December and 182.7% from January 2022

♦ Bartow: 1,064 claims, up almost 200% from December; 88% from a year earlier.

♦ Gordon: 857 claims, up 51.1% from the previous month; 232% from January 2022.

♦ Polk: 362 claims, up 158% from December; up 111.7% from the previous January.

♦ Chattooga: 234 claims, down 41.6% from the previous month but up 59.2% from 12 months earlier.

A check Thursday morning of local “help wanted” sources shows the Rome-floyd Chamber site had 107 positions available, a jump from last month. They include area college and private school positions as well as government and general business. Two dozen positions were posted on the Cartersvillebartow Chamber jobs page.

The latest state data follows a traditional new year tweak with national sources.

♦ Georgia’s January unemployment rate was 3.1%, unchanged from a revised 3.1% in December.

♦ Initial jobless claims were up 14,257 (51%) from December to 42,178 in January. Over the year, initial claims were up 13,921 (49%).

♦ Job numbers reached another all-time high, increasing by almost 17,000 from December.

♦ The number of employed residents was up 5,331 to 5,077,586, while the labor force increased by 5,620 to 5,239,336.

The number of unemployed increased by 289 to 161,750.

♦ “Georgia continues to lead the nation in job creation while outpacing the nation with low unemployment numbers,” said Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson, a former Bartow state senator. “Employers are hiring at a record pace, affording hardworking Georgians with opportunities in nearly every sector.”

♦ Jobs were up 16,600 (0.3%) over the month and up 159,600 (3.4%) over the year to 4,874,000. Job numbers were at record levels in Private Education and Health Services, 647,300; Leisure and Hospitality, 509,100; and Financial Activities, 279,600.

Source: Georgia Department of Labor Revised reports from the state Department of Labor, a review performed at the state to each year to “ensure more accurate estimates nationwide,” saw higher employment numbers for our area. Floyd gained 2,800 jobs compared to January 2022 but also saw an expected seasonal drop of 500 positions.

Bruce Thompson