The unemployment rate in the state of Georgia has increased to 8.1 percent, according to state labor officials.
The Georgia Department of Labor released the new unemployment rate for August last week.
The jobless rate in the state increased by 0.5 percent to 8.1 percent from 7.7 percent in July.
In August last year Georgia reported an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, meaning that the rate is only marginally better than the same time last year.
Mark Butler, State Labor Commissioner, issued a statement that said Georgia had achieved good labor growth, calling the August unemployment rate “somewhat questionable”.
Butler added that Georgia labor officials have been in contact with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. He said that officials have said that there is “volatility” in the monthly rate.
Georgia Governor, Nathan Deal, expected the rate to decrease in August as more workers who were temporarily unemployed in the summer were rehired.
The increase in unemployment comes at an unfortunate time for Deal, who has centered his campaign for re-election on the message that Georgia’s economy is progressing because of his pro-business beliefs. He frequently points out the 300,000 private sector jobs that have been created since he became governor.
Before Deal was governor the unemployment rate in the state was above 10 percent.
However, the July rate was revised after being first reported and Deal has said that “there’s no reason to think that that might not happen again.”
