Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Savannah added to the labor force in December.

At the same time, Savannah increased annual jobs and decreased annual claims in the three-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).     

“Georgia had a very good year economically speaking in 2018,” Butler said. “As I look back over the year, our state added to its workforce, employed more residents and increased jobs. Many of our local communities set records.”

The unemployment rate for December, at 3.6 percent, went up 0.4 percent over the previous month.  A year ago, the rate was 4.0 percent. 

The labor force in Savannah went up by 516 in December to reach 183,341. That number is down by 1,565 over the past year – an average monthly decrease of about 130.

Savannah lost 245 employed residents in December, bringing the total to 176,766. The number is down by 772 for the year, or about 65 per month. 

Jobs were flat in December, keeping the total at 179,300. The job total in Savannah is up 100 over the year – an average monthly increase of eight. 

Claims for unemployment insurance increased by 39 percent in December. They were down by 5 percent when compared to the same month a year ago. 

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 2,668 active job postings in Savannah for December.