Georgia's labor department has tallied the first comprehensive employment figures for the state since last month's massive flooding --and the news was bad for areas in the hard-hit central and southern parts of the state.
In Albany, Ga.. according to labor commissioner David Poythress, joblessness soared in July to 17.7%, the highest rate in the nation among major metropolitan areas.
The unemployment level was even worse in some smaller cities and counties affected by the floods, Poythress said. In Bainbridge, for example, the joblessness rate climbed to 26.6%, while in Baker County it rose to 23.3%, and in Macon Counties, 18.8%, he said.
But despite the cloudy jobs picture for cities and counties along the Flint and Ocmulgee rivers, Poythress said that Georgia's overall unemployment rate in July rose by only 0.1 percentage point, to 5.9%.
He attributed the state's showing to a substantial drop in unemployment in the Atlanta area m July. Citing an increase in jobs in the service industries, Poythress said joblessness in Atlanta decreased to 4.9% from 5.3% in June.
Poythress also predicted that cities and counties affected by the floods will soon show improved employment levels.
"Many of the people out of work because of the flood have already returned to their jobs, and others should be back at work soon," he said Moreover, Poythress said he expected the "unemployment rates in the flooded counties to move downward" by September, "but they won't reach the pre-flood levels."
The flooding in Georgia, which lasted a week in early July, was the result of heavy rain from Tropical Storm Alberto. The heaviest damage was in Macon along the Ocmulgee River, and towns on or near the Flint River, including Albany.
