Metro region’s jobless rate rises

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By Henry Unger

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in December from 9.2 percent in November, the state Labor Department said Thursday.

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The U.S. Diversity/Veterans College & Professional Career Fair held Wednesday at the Cobb Galleria Centre appeared to attract fewer applicants than past job fairs. Many of those attending said they doubted reports the jobless rate was down. Jim Carter, president and CEO of Diversity Hiring Expos, said he expected the jobless rate to be up because of the loss of seasonal employment over the holidays. He also said many companies were looking to hire veterans

Bob Andres bandres@ajc.com The U.S. Diversity/Veterans College & Professional Career Fair held Wednesday at the Cobb Galleria Centre appeared to attract fewer applicants than past job fairs. Many of those attending said they doubted reports the jobless rate was down. Jim Carter, president and CEO of Diversity Hiring Expos, said he expected the jobless rate to be up because of the loss of seasonal employment over the holidays. He also said many companies were looking to hire veterans

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Chantellia Franklin fills out an application at the Home Depot booth. She is currently employed in Chicago but wants to relocate here to be closer to family.

Bob Andres bandres@ajc.com Chantellia Franklin fills out an application at the Home Depot booth. She is currently employed in Chicago but wants to relocate here to be closer to family.

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A year ago, the jobless rate for the region was 10.1 percent.

Layoffs in construction, manufacturing, retail trade, administrative and support services, and accommodations and food services fueled the increase in unemployment from November, the Labor Department said.

For the core metro counties, Clayton posted the highest jobless rate at 11.8 percent, followed by Fulton (9.8 percent), DeKalb (9.7 percent), Cobb (8.5 percent) and Gwinnett (8.4 percent).

In the city of Atlanta, the jobless rate rose to 10.6 percent in December from 10.3 percent in November. A year ago, it was 11.3 percent.

Last week, the Labor Department reported that Georgia’s jobless rate declined in December for the third straight month, dropping to 9.7 percent from 9.8 percent in November. The state’s jobless rate was 10.4 percent in December 2010.

Both the metro area and state rates are considerably higher than the nation’s, which is currently 8.5 percent.