Stephens County trends positive in July DOL statistics

More Stephens County residents are working, fewer are unemployed, and the number of people in the county, age 16 and over, who are either employed, or actively seeking work, is increasing. 

According to the preliminary July employment statistics for Stephens County, released on Aug. 24 by the Georgia Department of Labor, 10,219 Stephens County residents are employed – 79 more than in June, and 133 more than in July of 2022.

DOL statistics show that, in Stephens County, there were 356 unemployed individuals in July. The Department of Labor defines “unemployed” as citizens who are actively seeking work, but unable to find employment. This is a decrease of 61 people since June, and a decrease of 121 individuals since July 2022. The DOL July unemployment rate for Stephens County is 3.4 percent, down from 3.5 percent in June, and down from 4.5 percent in July of last year. 

WNEG News spoke to Stephens County Development Authority President and CEO Brittany Ivey after the June Department of Labor statistics were released – when there were closer to 400 people in Stephens County seeking jobs as opposed to the July figure of 356. She said that those numbers are good for a community who wants to see its citizens employed, but can cause issues for local businesses and industries seeking qualified employees. 

The DOL report for July placed the labor force for Stephens County at 10,575 – an increase of 18 from last month, and an increase of 12 from July of last year.

The Labor Force, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, includes people over 16 years of age who are employed, and those who are actively seeking work. The labor force does not include those who are not actively seeking work. On average in Georgia, the labor force is approximately 61 percent of total residents age 16 or over, meaning approximately 39 out of every 100 residents over the age of 16 are not working or seeking work, and are not accounted for in Department of Labor unemployment statistics. 

Ivey said that there are two main avenues to help address the shortage of workers in Stephens County – grow the county, and look to high school students interested in entering the workforce directly after high school.

Be sure to tune in to WNEG News throughout the week for more in depth coverage of the struggle area employers are facing to fill empty positions, and the efforts being promoted to address that shortfall, including a look at tomorrow’s work-based-learning/CTAE job fair at the Stephens County High School, and a look back at the Georgia Mountains Workforce Development Forum held earlier this month at Lanier College and Career Academy in Gainesville.

According to DOL data, the top five industries in Stephens County, determined by the number of employees, are retail, food service and accommodations, construction, health care and social assistance, and administrative and support positions. 

When figured by weekly wages, as opposed to number of employees, the top five industries in Stephens County are management of companies and enterprises, information and information technology, utilities, mining, quarrying and oil and gas extrication, and finance and insurance.

On August 24, Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thomas noted that all 12 of Georgia’s Regional Commissions reported a decline in unemployment rates for the month of July. 

Each of Georgia’s 12 Regional Commissions consist of a number of neighboring counties. Stephens is a part of the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, which includes Stephens, Banks, Dawson, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Towns, Union, and White counties.

​In his monthly report on state and regional unemployment figures, Thomas said July jobs are plentiful and unemployment is low across the state. 

He stated, “Georgia’s labor market continues to stand strong as a beacon of hope and prosperity. With low unemployment and plentiful job opportunities, local communities are thriving and showcasing remarkable resilience in the face of economic uncertainty.”

Statewide In June, more than 115,000 job listings were online for Georgians to access. The top five employers included Wellstar Health System, 1,275; Emory Health Care, 1,025; Piedmont Healthcare, 850; and Randstad, 825; and Walmart, 725.

Thomas noted that the labor force increased in six of the twelve Regional Commissioners in July, including the Georgia Mountains Commission. Likewise, employment was up in nine of the twelve regional commissions, including Georgia Mountains.  

For the month of July in the entire Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, which includes Stephens, Banks, Dawson, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Towns, Union, and White Counties, the unemployment rate was 2.7 percent, the same rate as for July of 2022, and down three-tenths of a percentage point from last month. 

There were 742 Initial unemployment claims in the Commission’s area during July – up 30 percent from June, but down 19 percent from July 2022. Statewide, Initial claims were up 7,933 (34%) over the month to 31,410 in July.  Initial claims were up 2,865 (10) over the year.

The labor force for the entire Georgia Mountains Regional Commision hit an all-time high of 239,238 in July, up 773 from last month, and up 4,053 from July of last year. Statewide, The labor force was up by 9,048 to 5,309,578, an all-time high, and was up by 75,862 since the beginning of the year. The labor force participation rate increased to 61.4 percent.

Likewise, The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission area had an all time high number of people employed in July, with 239,238 people employed – an increase of 773 from last month, and an increase of 4,053 from the previous July. 

Statewide, the number of employed individuals rose for the ninth consecutive month, reaching an all-time high of 5,139,744. According to DOL statistics, the number of people employed in Georgia since the beginning of the year has risen by 67,489, with an employment-to-population ratio of 59.4 percent.

On a statewide basis, Georgia’s July unemployment rate remained steady at 3.2 percent, three-tenths lower than the national average and unchanged from the statewise rate of 3.2 percent in June. Statewide in July, there were 4,908,300 jobs – up by 2,600 (0.1%) over the month and up by 88,300 (1.8%) over the year.

In his August report, Thompson stated, “Georgia’s economic resilience hinges on a delicate balance between job creation and industry growth. While we are thrilled to have an unemployment rate lower than the national average and a record number of workers to fill essential roles, we are maintaining a watchful eye on unemployment trends to ensure a sustainable path forward. 

In industry-specific employment statewide statistics for July, job numbers were at an all-time high in Leisure and Hospitality, 526,300, and Financial Activities, 282,400.

The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains included Administrative and Support Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Accommodation and Food Services, Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, and Finance and Insurance.

The sectors with the most over-the-year job gains included Accommodation and Food Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, Local Government, and Retail Trade.

According to the US Chamber of Commerce, speaking after the release of the recent employment numbers throughout the country, “The latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that thousands of people are entering the workforce. This is good. However, labor force participation does not match what it was before the pandemic. If every unemployed worker took an open job in their industry, there would still be millions of open jobs.”