Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Northwest Georgia ended 2018 with strong gains in labor force and employed residents.
 
The unemployment rate also fell over 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 3.9 percent, was up 0.6 percent over the previous month. A year ago, the rate was 4.3 percent. The December rate was sixth among the 12 regions.
 
The labor force in Northwest Georgia went grew by 5,184 over the past 12 months to end 2018 at 422,668. For the month, the number increased by 1,864.
 
Northwest Georgia also added employed residents in 2018. The year-end total of 406,190 grew by 6,631 over the past 12 months. For the month, the number fell by 705.
 
Claims for unemployment insurance were down by 9 percent in December. They were up by 40 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.