Jan. 17, 2013 – The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.6 percent in December, that’s up one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.5 percent in November, but it is much better than the rate a year ago, which was 9.4 percent.

Georgia’s labor force grew by 4,159, reaching 4,804,459 in December, its highest level since February 2009.

The number of long-term unemployed workers declined by 7,600 to 195,000 in December, its lowest level in 34 months. The long-term unemployed—those out of work for more than 26 weeks—make up 47.1 percent of those unemployed in Georgia.