September Unemployment Figures Released

September figures from the Georgia Department of Labor show more people employed and a larger labor force in Stephens County.

According to those numbers, Stephens County had a preliminary unemployment rate for September of 6 percent.

That is one-tenth of a percentage point above the revised unemployment rate for August, which was 5.9 percent, and for September 2015, which was also 5.9 percent.

However, Stephens County’s labor force this September was 10,927, which is higher than August’s labor force of 10,804 and last September’s labor force of 10,610.

Also, 10,272 people in Stephens County were employed this September. That is up from 10,163 in August and 9,982 last September.

The Georgia Mountains region had a preliminary unemployment rate of 4.6 percent, unchanged from August.

Looking at other area counties, Franklin County had a preliminary unemployment rate in September of 5.3 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from August; Habersham County saw its preliminary unemployment rate rise two-tenths of a percentage point in September to 5.2 percent; and Banks County stayed the same in September at a 4.8 percent preliminary unemployment rate.