Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that River Valley’s unemployment rate slightly increased in December.

“Georgia finished the year strong by continuing to add jobs in all major sectors,” Butler said. “Moving forward, we need to attract more people to the workforce, so we can fill these great jobs.”

In River Valley, the unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to reach 3.6 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.7 percent.

The labor force in River Valley decreased by one in December, bringing the total to 146,965. The number has decreased by 1,951 when compared to the same month a year ago.

River Valley lost 279 employed residents in December, bringing the total to 141,645. The number is down 319 for the year.

Claims for unemployment insurance were up by 78 percent in December. They were up by about 14 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.

The River Valley area includes Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Webster counties.