Comparing job market in U.S. and Georgia
Job creation nationally was sluggish last month, according to the closely-watched government report Friday. Still, the national job market has been healthier than Georgia’s. Here’s a look at some of the latest job numbers. The U.S. figures are for December, while the latest Georgia data are for November.
| Measure | U.S. | Georgia |
| Job growth since Great Recession ended June 2009 | Up 4.8% | Up 2% |
| Change in unemployment rate since peak | Down 3.3 points | Down 2.7 points |
| Change in number of unemployed from peak | Down 33% | Down 26.1% |
| Proportion of unemployed searching more than six months | 37.7% | 44% |
| Public sector jobs since recession started Dec. 2007 | Down 2.4% | Down 4.2% |
| Private sector jobs since recession started | Down 0.6% | Down 5.3% |
| Latest unemployment rate | 6.7% | 7.7% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Georgia Department of Labor.