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Unemployment leveling off in DeKalb?
by Jonathan Cribbs
jonathan@dekalbchamp.com
Signs earlier this month of a statewide economy in repair boded slightly well for DeKalb County, according to new data released by the state labor department. The county’s unemployment rate fell one tenth of a point to 8.9 percent in March, data released April 23 show.
It’s the first time in three months the county rate has fallen since leaping from 6.3 percent in December to 8.4 percent in January. DeKalb County’s rate remains slightly better than the state’s – 9.2 percent – and lags behind the nation’s, which is 8.5 percent, according to state data.
While the small decrease isn’t terribly significant, it may indicate the beginnings of economic recovery not only for DeKalb County but also the state, said Sheryl Chapman, deputy director of DeKalb Workforce Development.
“We realize things are not going to improve overnight but will take every sign of improvement as a signal that our local, state and national economy is moving in the right direction,” Chapman said.
As the national economy has shrunk into recession, DeKalb County’s unemployment rate has soared from 5.6 percent in January 2008. Then, of a countywide workforce of 396,013 residents, 22,062 were unemployed, data show. Now, that workforce has shrunk to 383,804, and 34,094 are out of work.
The county has the third-largest labor force in Georgia, and DeKalb tends to trend with the state because of it, said Sam Hall, state labor department spokesman. As the recession rattled the financial markets and real estate industry, the effects reverberated into the construction industry and related manufacturing industry, putting people out of work.
“Many of the same trends [affecting] the state can be seen in DeKalb County, including job losses in manufacturing, construction, retail, trade and administrative support services,” Hall said.
The shrunken workforce may also be a product of the sinking economy, Chapman said. The loss of nearly 13,000 workers countywide since January 2008 indicates that many are likely leaving the area in search of work, she said.
“With Georgia being one of the highest states in home foreclosures and with the sluggish job market, these may also be contributing factors to the shrinkage in the workforce for DeKalb County,” Chapman said.
DeKalb Workforce Development has extended the hours of its OneStop Career Center on Church Street in downtown Decatur to better serve the unemployed, she said. The office has served more than 4,700 residents since Jan. 1.
Neighboring counties also have experienced positive decreases. Fulton County’s unemployment rate dropped from 9.3 percent to 9.1 percent in March, according to state data. About 43,500 people are unemployed out of a workforce of about 478,000.
Gwinnett County’s unemployment rate in March remained stagnant at 8.4 percent. Out of a workforce of about 412,000, nearly 35,000 are unemployed, state data show.
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