Cherokee Unemployment Rate at 6.4 Percent

Cherokee County's preliminary unemployment rate for November fell slightly to 6.4 percent, the lowest in the 10-county metro Atlanta region.

The rate is down from the October rate of 6.5 percent and 7.3 percent in November 2011, according to figures released by the Georgia Department of Labor. 

Cherokee's labor force rose slightly to 114,906 last month from 114,634 in October.

November's labor force is also higher than November 2011 figure of 112,948.

Cherokee's unemployment rate is clocked in lower than metro Atlanta's November unemployment rate of 8.0 percent. The region's rate is also slightly lower than its 8.2 percent rate in October and 8.9 percent in November 2011. 

"The rate declined because of job growth and fewer new layoffs, represented by first time claims for unemployment insurance benefits," the department stated in its news release. 

The metro Atlanta area experienced an increase of 12,300 new jobs in November. Overall, there were 2.36 million jobs in November, up from 2.35 in October.

In November 2011, jobs were up by 33,900, or 1.5 percent, from 2.33 million. 

The region saw growth in trade, transportation and warehousing with 11,000 new jobs; 1,600 job increase in financial services; 1,500 job increase in information services; and 1,100 job increase in education and health care. 

The department added the gains were steep enough to offset the losses the leisure and hospitality and construction industries saw last month.

The hospitality and leisure industry experienced a 3,800 job loss and construction jobs were down by 900.

State labor officials also noted there were 680 fewer new claims for unemployment benefits in construction, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, and administrative and support services.

Georgia's unemployment rate declined to 8.5 last month, down from 8.7 percent in October and 8.5 percent last November. 

Fayette County's unemployment rate of 6.8 percent falls in as the second lowest rate of in the region. 

Other county-level unemployment rates across the metro region are: Cobb at 7.3 percent, Clayton at 10.2 percent, DeKalb at 8.6 percent, Douglas at 8.4 percent, Fulton at 8.9 percent, Gwinnett at 7.1 percent, Henry at 8.5 percent, Paulding at 7.5 percent and Rockdale at 9.2 percent.