Cherokee Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.3 Percent

Cherokee County's unemployment rate took another tumble during the month of August.

The Georgia Department of Labor reported the rate dropped to 6.3 percent last month, which was down from 6.9 percent in July. Last month's rate is also down from 7.1 percent reported in August 2012.

Forsyth County remains the leader in the lowest unemployment rate in the metro Atlanta region. The county in August reported a rate of 6.1 percent. 

The rates of surrounding counties include Bartow at 8.1 percent; Clayton at 10.3 percent; Cobb at 7.2 percent; DeKalb at 8.4 percent; Fayette at 7.3 percent; Fulton at 8.8 percent; Gwinnett at 7.1 percent; Henry at 7.9 percent; Paulding at 7.3 percent; and Rockdale at 8.7 percent. 

Collectively, the rate for the metro Atlanta region also fell to 8 percent in August. That's a slight dip from last month's 8.6 percent, and 8.9 percent recorded in August 2012.

GDOL attributes the drop to a "significant reduction" in layoffs and growth in the number of jobs available in the region. 

In August, metro Atlanta had 2,415,900 jobs, up by 2,800 from July. 

The biggest gains were seen in education and health services with 4,500 jobs, led primarily by gains in social assistance. The government sector added 4,400, as non-contract education workers returned to the public schools after the summer vacation.

However, GDOL notes those gains were offset somewhat by the loss of 3,000 private sector jobs, mostly in professional and business services.

Most of the drop was seen in manufacturing, with additional reductions seen in construction, administrative and support services, trade, accommodations and food services and health care and social assistance.

The state's unemployment rate for August was 8.7 percent, down a hair from 8.8 percent in July. The rate was 9.0 percent in August 2012.