The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate for January was 6.2 percent, up two-tenths of a percentage point from 6.0 percent in December. The rate in January 2014 was 7.1 percent.

The rate increased as the metro area lost 35,100 jobs, many of which were temporary and part-time jobs related to the holiday season, and had a 7.0 percent increase in new claims for unemployment insurance. 

The number of jobs in Metro Atlanta declined to 2,531,600, down by 1.4 percent from 2,566,700 in December. Most of the job loss came in retail trade, transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, state and local government, and information services. 

Despite the monthly loss in mainly seasonal jobs, Atlanta had the largest January-to-January job growth ever recorded. The metro area added 104,400 jobs, up 4.3 percent, from 2,427,200 in January 2014. 

Seven job sectors experienced 4.0 percent growth or higher. They are: trade, transportation, and warehousing, 26,100, or 4.8 percent; professional and business services, 21,400, or 4.9 percent; leisure and hospitality, 16,700, or 6.9 percent; education and health services, 12,900, or 4.3 percent; financial activities, 7,500, or 4.8 percent; construction, 5,600, or 5.9 percent; and, other services, 3,900, or 4.2 percent. Also, government, grew by 6,400, or 2.0 percent, and manufacturing grew by 4,100, or 2.7 percent. 

There were 22,853 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in January, up by 1,489 from December. Most of the increase in claims came in retail trade, transportation and warehousing, along with manufacturing and construction. Over the year, claims were down by 549, or 2.3 percent, from 23,402 filed in January 2014. 

Due to the federal redesignation of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) every 10 years, Morgan County is now included in the 29-county Atlanta MSA.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.3 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for January was 6.4 percent, down from 6.6 percent in December. It was 7.3 percent in January 2014. 

Local area unemployment data and jobs are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov Connect with us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @GeorgiaDOL, which can be easily accessed via our website at www.gdol.ga.gov.