Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Columbus metro area unemployment rate rises to 9.6 percent

A year ago, rate was 6.6%

It was nearly steady as she goes on the Columbus metro area unemployment front last month.

The city’s jobless rate rose slightly to 9.6 percent in September, up from a revised 9.5 percent in August, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.

There were 12,146 people without a job locally last month, the department said. But that was an increase of only 15 people from the month before.

Still, the numbers are high compared to September 2008, when there were 8,497 Columbus area residents out of work, the department said. The unemployment rate then was 6.6 percent.

The work force as a whole has taken its lumps as well, with the number of payroll jobs in September standing at 117,100. That’s down 2,800 jobs from a year ago, a 2.3 percent decline, when the city’s work force was 119,900.

Georgia as a whole registered a 10.1 percent unemployment rate in September, unchanged from August. That compares to a U.S. rate of 9.8 percent. It’s the 23rd straight month Georgia has surpassed the nation’s rate.

Alabama’s jobless rate jumped to 10.7 percent in September, up from a revised 10.3 percent in August.

“Underlying trends confirm continuing job market deterioration” in Georgia, said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.

On Thursday, Thurmond said job creation, particularly among the state’s small- and medium-sized businesses, is critical for recovery.

There will be some seasonal work available during the approaching holidays, though competition will be fierce for any jobs out there.

A recent seasonal survey of more than 2,900 hiring managers across the country by online employment site CareerBuilder found that 18 percent of companies expect to add staff through Christmas. A year ago, the number was 17 percent.

“Competition for seasonal positions will be intense as the job market is flooded with qualified candidates vying for a smaller number of open positions,” said Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, in a statement. “Employers tell us they are accepting the majority of their seasonal applications during October and November, meaning job seekers need to identify and apply for those opportunities now.”

Anyone needing assistance with resume preparation and the job-search process should contact the Georgia Labor Department’s Columbus Career Center, 700 Veterans Parkway, or call 706-649-7423. Aside from Muscogee, the office covers the Georgia counties of Chattahoochee, Clay, Harris, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart and Talbot.