Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Gainesville set a series of records in October.
 
While the unemployment rate held steady, jobs, employment and the labor force all jumped in Gainesville. There was a small increase in unemployment filings in the one-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).  
 
““In October we had eight local communities set a total of 13 new records,” Butler said. “We increased jobs, employment and added to our labor force in virtually all of our major markets.”
 
Nationally, the unemployment rate climbed in October to 3.6 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage points. The nation also grew its labor force by 325,000, increased employment by 241,000 and added more 125,000 jobs.
 
Georgia’s unemployment rate, meanwhile, fell in October by 0.1 percentage points to 3.4 percent. That tied Georgia’s all-time low set in December of 2000.
 
Rates fell or held steady across all 11 of Georgia’s 14 MSAs. Four set a record for lowest rate ever.
 
Gainesville’s unemployment remained unchanged in October, holding at 2.4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.1 percent.
 
The labor force increased in October by 564 to reach 104,958 - an all-time high. That number is up by 1,612 from the total of October 2018.
 
Gainesville ended October with 102,461 employed residents - another all-time high.  The number increased by 546 in October and was up by 2,281 over October 2018’s total.
 
Gainesville ended October with 98,000 jobs - an all-time high. The MSA added 800 jobs over the month but was up 3,200 jobs when compared to this time last year.
 
The number of unemployment claims increased in October by about 17 percent but were down by about 4 percent from the same period last year.     
 
The one-county MSA includes Hall County.