Published Saturday, August 29, 2009

Regional unemployment 13.2 percent

The Newnan Times-Herald

The Georgia Department of Labor reported this week that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the new Three Rivers planning region rose to 13.2 percent in July, up one-tenth of one percentage point from a revised 13.1 percent in June.

That's higher than both the state unemployment rate of 10.3 percent and the national rate of 9.4 percent.

The number of initial unemployment claims in July in Coweta is also astoundingly high, at 1,438 claims, according to Newnan Career Center Manager Peter Ludlow.

"We had a definite bump up from July," Ludlow told the Newnan-Peachtree City Area Employer Committee at its most recent meeting. "These numbers are really unique."

In July 2008, initial filing for unemployment claims in Coweta County numbered only 688. That's a 109 percent year-to-year increase.

Initial claims in June 2009 were 1,155, so filings have increased 25 percent in just the past month.

In the Three Rivers area, the number of unemployed workers increased in July to 29,922, up 12,302 from July of 2008.

The former McIntosh Trail and Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Development Centers (RDCs) were recently merged into the new Three Rivers Regional Commission.

The Three Rivers RDC cosists of Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, and Upson counties.

Local groups are doing what they can to get job seekers back to work. The Georgia Department of Labor's Newnan Career Center and the Newnan-Peachtree City Area Employer Committee are teaming up with the Job Networking Ministry of the First United Methodist Church of Newnan to host a "Dress for Success" seminar at the A. Mitchell Powell Jr. Public Library on Sept. 10 at noon. The library is located at 25 Hospital Road in Newnan.

"Judith Carr and Becky Cochran of the employer committee are planning to speak," said librarian Kim Distel.

"We hope everyone will join us for this program led by local human resource experts," she said. "These guest speakers will discuss the importance of dressing for success, including its significance during the job interview process."

Those attending the program are invited to bring a sack lunch. Soft drinks and water will be provided.

Newnan First United Methodist Church Job Networking Ministry will hold its next meeting Sept. 8 at 6 p.m.

Meetings are always held the second Tuesday of each month in the Parish Hall of Newnan First United Methodist Church. The church is located at 33 Greenville St. in Newnan. The ministry can be reached by telephone at 770-253-7400.

Statewide, the number of payroll jobs in July decreased by 199,400, or 4.9 percent, from July 2008. The over-the-year losses came in manufacturing, trade, transportation, and warehousing, professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies and construction. Healthcare, private educational services, and local and state government education showed a combined increase of 19,600 jobs.

Last month, 493,748 unemployed Georgians were looking for work, an increase of 63.6 percent from July of 2008.

"December of 2007 is when this surge of unemployment filings really started for us," said Ludlow. There were 745 then, compared to "numbers in the 300s earlier in 2007."