Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Northwest Georgia added to its labor force in December.

At the same time, the annual numbers for employed residents and work force increased in December for the 15-county area, preliminary numbers show.

“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 the region, the unemployment rate increased by 0.8 percentage points in December, reaching 3.6 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.9 percent.

The labor force in Northwest Georgia increased by 3,958 in December, bringing the total to 424,771. The number has risen by 4,257 when compared to the same month a year ago.

Northwest Georgia added 404 employed residents in December, bringing the total to 409,580. The number is up 5,290 for the year.

Claims for unemployment insurance were up by about 203 percent in December. They were up by about 102 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.