Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Northwest Georgia kept all annual numbers positive in January.

In the Northwest Georgia region, the annual numbers for labor force, employed residents, and initial claims all remained positive, preliminary numbers show.

In the region, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points in January, reaching 3.7 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.4 percent.

The labor force in Northwest Georgia decreased by 466 in January, bringing the total to 424,710. The number has risen by 4,836 when compared to the same month a year ago.

Northwest Georgia lost 1,018 employed residents in January, bringing the total to 408,988. The number is up 7,688 for the year.

Claims for unemployment insurance were up by about 24 percent in January. They were down by about 6 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.