The Georgia Department of Labor reported this week that unemployment in the Rome area went up slightly in its first report of the year.
The unemployment rate reached 3.6%, which is a small increase from December and a bit higher than the 3.4% rate from the same time last year.
Officials say this kind of increase is normal for January. Many temporary holiday and seasonal jobs end after December, which often causes unemployment to rise.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes said the state’s strong and diverse economy helps it adjust to changes in the job market and continue creating opportunities.
In Rome, the number of people working or looking for work dropped by 493 in January, bringing the total labor force to 47,793. That’s also slightly lower than a year ago.
The number of employed people fell to 46,062, which is down from both the previous month and last year.
The total number of jobs in the area also decreased to 46,500, down by 1,000 from December and 400 from January of last year.
There was one positive sign: fewer people filed for unemployment benefits. Initial claims dropped to 623, which is lower than both the previous month and the same time last year.
