Habersham County had the third-highest unemployment rate in Northeast Georgia in December. According to the Georgia Department of Labor, the county’s preliminary unemployment rate was 3 percent. Only Towns County (3.5%) and Elbert and Stephens counties (both at 3.3%) were higher.
Habersham’s rate was slightly up from November (2.8%); still, it’s even with the current statewide rate and lower than the national average of 3.5 percent.
The Georgia Department of Labor said Thursday there were 18,429 people in Habersham County’s labor force in December. Of those, 17,875 were employed, and 554 were unemployed.
Hall and White counties saw a slight drop in their unemployment rates, pulling even with Banks County, which held steady at 2.1%.
Jackson County had the lowest unemployment rate in Northeast Georgia, followed closely by Oconee County.
In the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission area, the unemployment rate remained at 2.4 percent in December. While in the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission, the unemployment rate was down one-tenth to 2.4 percent.
State Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said, “With the unemployment rate trending lower than the national average, we are well-positioned to help businesses remain competitive and find top-tier talent.”
In December, there were over 108,000 jobs listed online at EmployGeorgia.com. Market salaries for the jobs listed on Employ Georgia range from $23,000 to $99,500, showing a median salary of $42,400.
Statewide, the top five employers included Wellstar Health System, Home Depot, Piedmont Healthcare, Walmart, and Pizza Hut. The top five industries included Health Care, Retail Trade, Accommodation and Food Services, Manufacturing, and Finance and Insurance.
