Georgia's Unemployment Rate Update-Slight Drop but First in almost a year (Butler: employment, agricultural)

[GaBison2007]

For the first time in almost a year, Georgia’s monthly unemployment rate dropped in February, falling to 10.2 percent from 10.3, the state labor department reported Thursday.

Still, Thursday's report brought a ray of optimism. Georgia added 25,100 jobs in February for a statewide total of 3.8 million non-agricultural payroll jobs.
“The slight increase in jobs in February gives me reason for cautious optimism,” Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in a statement. “Also, I’m encouraged that we continue to see a reduction in the number of new layoffs.”

Georgia's jobless picture brightens a bit *| ajc.com

[SW30303]

I think that percentage drop of the unemployment rate in GA is still so low because there are many people not actively seeking work any more for whatever reason. Call me skeptical, that this is "good" news ... yet.

If the rate dropped from 10.2 to 9.9 or something like that (few tenths of a point), it might mean more in the entire scheme of things.

[testa50]

I've said this before, but total employment is a far more useful indicator than unemployment. Look at this as "Georgia gained 25,100 jobs last month", not "Georgia's unemployment rate dipped 0.1% last month."

Unemployment can increase and decrease merely out of fluctuations in the workforce size that don't have anything to do with the underlying job picture. We just need to have months and months of sustained employment growth, and everything else will fall into place, although the UE rate may continue to fluctuate due to people re-entering the workforce.

[MathmanMathman]

The other questions are

1. How many more people moved to Georgia in February?
2. How many people moved off the unemployment roles into a job and how many were kicked off?

Really, I heard that the Feds were coming in and looking for reasons to kick people off unemployment so as to improve the unemployment numbers.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

The other questions are

1. How many more people moved to Georgia in February?
2. How many people moved off the unemployment roles into a job and how many were kicked off?

Really, I heard that the Feds were coming in and looking for reasons to kick people off unemployment so as to improve the unemployment numbers.

This is why looking at total employment is so much more important than the unemployment rate.

And there's no way anywhere near 25,100 people moved into the state, so there was definitely a decrease in the number of folks who don't have a job and want one, whether they be unemployed or discouraged or whatever the government wants to call them.