ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in the Three Rivers region rose to 10.8 percent in January, up 1.6 percent from 9.2 percent in December. The rate was 10.5 percent in January 2012.

The rate rose because there were 1,902 more new claims for unemployment benefits in construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation, and warehousing, administrative and support services, health care and social assistance, and accommodations and food service. While the initial claims were up from December to January, they were down by 763, or 11.6 percent, from 6,582 in January 2012. The decline in claims led to an over-the-year drop in the area’s jobless rate.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.6 percent, while metro Dalton and the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region tied for the highest at 11.9 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 8.7 percent, unchanged from December. The rate was 9.3 percent in January a year ago.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us