The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate for January was 6.4 percent, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 6.1 percent in December. The rate in January 2014 was 7.4 percent.

The rate increased as the metro area lost 2,700 mostly temporary and part-time jobs related to the holiday season. The number of jobs in Metro Savannah declined to 165,600, down from 168,300 in December. Most of the job loss came in retail trade, transportation, and warehousing, professional and business services, and state and local government. 

However, there was an over-the-year gain of 8,200 jobs, up from 157,400 in January 2014. Most of the job gains came in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, trade, transportation and warehousing, and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction, along with mining and logging.  

Although there was a loss of mainly holiday-related jobs, the number of new claims for unemployment decreased to 1,710, a drop of 26, or 1.5 percent, from 1,736 in December. Most of the decrease in claims came in manufacturing and construction and accommodations and food services. Over the year, claims were down by 369, or 17.7 percent, from 2,079 filed in January 2014.     

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 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.