DALTON, Ga. — Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that metro Dalton’s unemployment rate fell again in November.

Metro Dalton is Whitfield and Murray counties.

According to preliminary numbers, metro Dalton also increased the annual numbers for employed residents and jobs for the two-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).

“This November we had great job numbers across the board,” Butler said. “The state had an all-time low unemployment rate and many of our local communities set records, too. We hit records across all the major indicators. Overall, it was quite a spectacular month when it comes to the jobs report.”

Nationally, the unemployment rate fell in November to 3.5%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points. The nation also grew its labor force by 40,000, increased employment by 83,000 and added more than 266,000 jobs.

Georgia’s unemployment rate fell in November by 0.1 percentge points to 3.3%. That rate is the lowest since the federal government began keeping records in 1976.

Rates fell across all of Georgia’s 14 MSAs. Eleven set or tied a record for lowest rate ever.

In metro Dalton, the unemployment rate decreased in November by 0.8 percentage points to settle at 3.6%. A year ago, the rate was 4.3%.

Metro Dalton ended November with 69,000 jobs. That’s a decrease of about 200 jobs over the month but an increase of about 500 when compared to November of last year.

The labor force decreased in November by 719 to reach 60,534. That number is down by 408 from the total of November 2018.

Metro Dalton ended November with 58,340 employed residents. The number decreased by 208 in November but was up by 17 when compared to this same time last year.

The number of unemployment claims went up in November by 9% and was down by about 27% from the same period last year.

Employ Georgia, the Georgia Department of Labor’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com, showed 595 active job postings in metro Dalton for November.

You can visit dol.georgia.gov to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other department services for job seekers and employers, and to connect with the department on social media.