The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) reported Tuesday that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the Three Rivers area rose to 12.5 percent in January, up eight-tenths of one percentage point from a revised 11.7 percent in December. Meanwhile the number of unemployed workers in the area increased to 27,838, up 1,897 from 25,941 in December.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 10.4 percent in January, topping the previous record high of 10.3 percent reported in December. This marks the 28th consecutive month that Georgia has exceeded the national seasonally adjusted rate, which was 9.7 percent.

The state’s January jobless rate was up 2.0 percentage points from 8.4 percent at this same time last year. The jobless rate in the Three Rivers area in January 2009 was 10.0 percent.
Three Rivers Region includes Butts, Caroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup and Upson counties.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us .