Pierce County’s estimated unemployment rate remains volatile, increasing half a point in October to 2.9 percent. The increase in unemployment this month, follows a half point decrease in September.
Unemployment rates were up in all regions of the state during the month of October, according to State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. Despite the increase, the rate is near a record low. Butler did say, however, he expects the rate to go down due to holiday hiring in the next two months.
“Job seekers have continued to experience a favorable hiring environment across multiple job sectors, despite a slight uptick in unemployment rates,” said Butler. “As we prepare for peak holiday hiring, we encourage job seekers to take advantage of the many employment opportunities, both full-time and part-time, available across Georgia.”
Pierce County recorded an 8.4 percent unemployment rate in April 2020 at the peak of the shelter in place order caused by the COVID 19 virus and before businesses reopened.
The recovery has been uneven. October’s increase was exactly identical to September’s decrease in the rate.
October’s unemployment rate is two tenths of a point higher than the 2.7 percent rate reported during the same month in 2021.
According to Department of Labor statistics, Pierce County has a labor force of 8,538 with 8,291 employed. The number of those listed as unemployed was 247, and increase of 43 compared to September.
In the Southern Georgia region, the unemployment rate was up six-tenths of a point to 3.3 percent, also an exact reversal of the September rate. A year ago, the rate was 3.2 percent.
In addition to Pierce, the 18-county South Georgia region includes Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift, Turner and Ware.
Statewide, the unemployment rate was 2.9 percent in October, up four tenths of a point from September and down half a point from this time last year. Georgia hit a peak of over 9 % in unemployment in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 1,038 active job postings in Southern Georgia.
