March 13, 2020–5:50 a.m.

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Rome’s annual numbers are all heading in the right direction, starting 2020 in a positive fashion.

According to preliminary data, the one-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA) showed an annual increase in jobs, labor force, employment, and fewer claims filed for unemployment.

“Over the year, we are still seeing positive data and our unemployment rates are still some of the lowest ever on record,” Butler said.

In Rome, the unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points in January, reaching 3.9 percent. A year ago, the rate was 5.1 percent.

Rome ended January with 42,100 jobs. That number decreased by 500 from December to January, a traditional occurrence after the holiday season, but increased by 500 when compared to the same time a year ago.

The labor force decreased in January by 77 and ended the month with 44,617. That number is up 220 when compared to January of 2019.

Rome finished the month with 42,894 employed residents.  That number decreased by 127 over the month but is up by 776 when compared to the same time a year ago.

The number of unemployment claims went up by about 10 percent in January. When compared to last January, claims were down by about 1 percent.

The one-county MSA includes Floyd County.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 584 active job postings in metro Rome for January.