Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Valdosta added more employed residents in October.
 
Valdosta received gains in jobs and labor force in October, according to preliminary numbers across the four-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).   
 
“In October we had eight local communities set a total of 13 new records,” Butler said. “We increased jobs, employment and added to our labor force in virtually all of our major markets.”
 
Nationally, the unemployment rate climbed in October to 3.6 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage points. The nation also grew its labor force by 325,000, increased employment by 241,000 and added more 125,000 jobs.
 
Georgia’s unemployment rate, meanwhile, fell in October by 0.1 percentage points to 3.4 percent. That tied Georgia’s all-time low set in December of 2000.
 
Rates fell or held steady across all 11 of Georgia’s 14 MSAs. Four set a record for lowest rate ever.
 
In Valdosta, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to reach 3.2 percent in October. A year ago, the rate was 3.9 percent.  
 
The labor force increased in October by 613 to reach 64,936. That number is down by two from the total of October 2018.
 
Jobs increased for Valdosta over the month by 600, coming in at 57,800.  When compared to the same time last year, Valdosta gained 900 jobs.
 
Valdosta ended October with 62,884 employed residents.  The number increased by 538 in October and was up by 510 over October 2018’s total.
 
The number of unemployment claims went up in October by about 19 percent but were down by 27 percent from the same period last year.