The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate in December was 4.9 percent, up two-tenths of a percentage point from 4.7 percent in November. In December 2015, the rate was also 4.9 percent.

The rate rose as the labor force grew. The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs, grew by 1,413 to 186,773. The number of unemployed residents rose by 345 to 9,066, while the number employed increased by 1,068 to 177,707.

The number of jobs in Savannah increased by 300, or 0.2 percent, to 182,500. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing and professional and business services.

Over the year, 6,900 jobs were added, a 3.9 percent growth rate, up from 175,600 in December 2015. Most of the job growth came in professional and business services, trade, transportation and warehousing, leisure and hospitality and state and local government.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 332, or 29.9 percent, to 779 in December. Most of the decrease came in trade, transportation and warehousing, accommodations and food services, health care and social assistance and manufacturing and construction. Over the year, claims were down by 549, or 41.3 percent, from 1,328 in December 2015.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha and River Valley regions had the highest at 6.6 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for December was 5.4 percent, up from 5.3 percent in November. It was 5.5 percent in December 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In December, 2,253 new job openings in Savannah were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 57,920 new job openings were posted.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov