ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the preliminary unemployment 

rate in the Northwest Georgia region was unchanged at 8.7 percent from September to October. 

The rate was 10.1 percent in October 2011. 
 
Metro Athens continued to have the lowest area jobless rate at 6.2 percent, while metro Dalton had

 the highest at 11.3 percent.  
 
Meanwhile, 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. 
 
Statewide, there were 3,971,700 jobs in October, up 36,000, or nine-tenths of a percentage point, 

from 3,935,700 in September. Over the year, Georgia gained 68,000 jobs, or 1.7 percent, from 

3,903,700 in October 2011. 
 
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are 

at www.dol.state.ga.us