The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) reported today that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.9 percent from September to October. The preliminary September rate of 10 percent reported last month has been revised downward by one-tenth of a percentage point. The rate was 10.2 percent in October 2009. This is the 37th consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.6 percent.

Although the jobless rate was unchanged, the number of payroll jobs increased 22,300, or six-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,815,400 in September to 3,837,700 in October. Most of the increases came in retail trade, temporary employment agencies, public and private schools, and health care. However, the number of jobs remains 7,200, or two-tenths of a percentage point, less than in October 2009, when there were 3,844,900 payroll jobs.

There were 240,600 long-term unemployed Georgians in October (those who have been out of work for 27 weeks or longer). This represents an increase of 4,000, or 1.7 percent, from 236,600 long-term unemployed in September and an increase of 93,000, or 63 percent, from 147,600 in October 2009. The long-term unemployed now account for 52.4 percent of the 459,098 jobless workers in Georgia.

Also, 57,494 laid-off workers filed initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in October, an increase of 348, or six-tenths of a percentage point, from 57,146 in September. However, there was an over-the-year decrease of 13,103 initial claims, or 18.6 percent, from 70,597 filed in October 2009. Most of the first-time claims were filed in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, administrative and support services, and construction.

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