Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the River Valley region’s unemployment rate fell again in December.
 
The 16-county region also saw a drop in initial unemployment claims.  Most critical indicators were positive for the year.   
 
“Last year was a strong one in terms of gains for the economy and jobs,” Butler said. “We saw new records set across the state. Our unemployment rate continued to trend downward. Jobs were created and more Georgians became employed.”
 
The unemployment rate for December, at 4.8 percent, was down 0.2 percent over the previous month. A year ago, the rate was 5.4 percent.
 
The labor force in River Valley fell by 1,090 in December to reach 150,000. That number is up by 640 over the past year, an average monthly gain of about 50.  
 
River Valley lost 679 employed residents in December, bringing the total to 142,823. The number is up 1,501 for the year, or about 125 per month.
 
Claims for unemployment insurance fell by 37 percent in December. They were up by 6 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.