The Georgia Department of Labor has announced  that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted 
unemployment rate declined to 8.7 percent in October, down three-tenths of a percentage point 
from 9.0 percent in September. The jobless rate was 9.7 percent in October a year ago. 
 
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says, “The unemployment rate dropped because we had an increase of 36,000 new jobs, which is the
 largest September to October job increase ever.” 
That job growth pushed the number of jobs in October to the highest level in any month since 
December of 2008.”
 
There were 3,971,700 jobs in October, up nine-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,935,700 in
 September. The growth came in retail trade, up 8,000; education and health care, up 7,000; 
professional and business services, up 6,000; state and local public schools, up 5,000; leisure
 and hospitality, up 3,000; technology, up 2,400; construction, up 1,700; financial services, up
 900; and manufacturing, up 700. 
 
Butler added, “While manufacturing gained 700 jobs during the month, it’s more important to note that the in
dustry has gained 10,500 jobs in the last year." 
 
Georgia gained 68,000 jobs, or 1.7 percent, from 3,903,700 in October 2011. Additional growth
 sectors over the year include: professional and business services, up 25,500; retail trade, up
 14,000; education and health care, up 13,000; food services and drinking establishments, up 
9,400; and technology, up 3,600.  
 
Georgia’s labor force continued to increase, climbing to 4,793,540 in October, up by 17,438, or 
four-tenths of a percentage point, from 4,776,102 in September.  The state’s workforce totaled
 4,734,487 in October 2011.   
 
Butler said, "Our labor force has grown consistently over the past year, indicating that Georgians are more 
optimistic about finding a job, and fortunately, we’ve had the job growth necessary to put these
 people to work.” 
  
The number of initial claims rose 11,931 to 51,495 in October; however, the number of claims 
is down by 4,370, or 7.8 percent, from 55,865 in October 2011. Most of the October increase
 came in manufacturing, trade, administrative and support services, and construction. 
 
The number of long-term unemployed workers declined for the sixth consecutive month, 
dropping 2,100 from September to 206,700 in October. The long-term unemployed—those out
 of work for more than 26 weeks—make up 49.4 percent of those unemployed in Georgia, the

lowest percent in slightly more than two years.