Thursday, April 23, 2009

Thursday updates

 
It gets worse: Chattooga's unemployment rate at 18% in March

-18,000 people out of work here last month; 5,000-plus each in Floyd, Bartow

-Update; State rate unchanged; two 'bright spots' in monthly report> Ga.

  March working March jobless

March 09

% jobless

February

% jobless

March 08

% jobless

Bartow 40,685 5,275 11.5% 11.3% 6.3%
Chattooga 9,796 2,149 18.0% 13.7% 14.3%
Floyd 43,242 5,078 10.5% 10.0% 5.5%
Gordon 23,887 3,148 11.6% 11.9% 6.2%
Polk 19,556 2,283 10.5% 10.2% 5.7%
Georgia 4,340,768 439,252 9.2% 9.2% 5.3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Georgia Department of Labor

Over lunch on Wednesday, one of the state's leading economic forecasters told those attending Berry's Business Outlook luncheon that the economy had not

hit bottom yet. Dr. Rajeev Dhawan of Georgia State (click) perhaps had an advance look at the March jobless figures for Georgia.

In this part of the state, at least, the bleeding continues. Nearly 18,000 people in the five-county area were without jobs in March, or 11 percent of the workforce.

Recent store closings (Circuit City, Goody's, Office Depot) and layoffs (HON Co., Shaw, Kobelco, Super Kmart) continue to sweep the region. And some of those numbers won't show up until the April stats are released.

Hardest hit among the five local counties is Chattooga, where 18 percent of the county's labor force was idle last month. Some 2,149 people were unemployed while another 9,796 had jobs. Chattooga ranks second in the state's highest jobless rates with only Jenkins County (between Augusta and Statesboro) above it at 20.2 percent. Warren County was third at 16.9 percent.

By sheer numbers, Bartow had the most unemployed residents last month, 5,275 or 11.5 percent of the work force. Close behind was Floyd County, with 5,078 people without work or 10.5 percent. That was up from 10 percent in February and almost double the 5.5 percent posted in March 2008.

The only decrease in the number of people out of work was in Gordon County. Sixty-five more people were employed there in March vs. February, enough to drop the jobless rate from 11.9 to 11.6 percent.

Polk County saw an increase from 10.2 percent to 10.5 percent. Nearly 2,300 Polk residents were without jobs last month.

Statewide, the jobless rate stayed the same as February, 9.2 percent.  But there were several bright spots found in the monthly reports.. (Click State)

Berry Outlook economist--We've yet to hit bottom: Dr. Rajeev Dhawan told 250 business and community leaders attending the 27th Berry Business Outlook Conference Wednesday that the economy will fall still more before the recovery in mid-2010. For more, click Business

Synovus (Citizens First parent company) loses $136.7M in first quarter: Synovus reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2009 of $136.7 million compared to net income of $81 million a year earlier. The first quarter 2009 results include provision expense of $290.4 million> Complete release

>UGA joins Secure Vault Payment Network> UGA

-Mohawk's first quarter financials due today: Net earnings for the 2008 period were $65 million> Mohawk

Thursday's Buzz:

-Bartow schools offer summer driver's ed program

-Bartow GOP meets Saturday morning

-Team Bartow ready for 44th Steeplechase

Confederate Memorial Day Observance set for April 25 at Stiles Auditorium

-Georgia Northwestern announces leaders for administrative services, adult education, student affairs> Campus Headlines

-Glenda Almand named Floyd's Good Samaritan Volunteer of the Year

-Davis, state university chancellor, to speak at GHC graduation> GHC

On Northwest Georgia Press Releases>Click Hometown PR

-Hopkins Institute speaker to educate community, Shorter College students about ethical decisions in the workplace Thursday

-Berry Singers in concert Thursday night

-Plus earlier releases.

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Thursday: 20% chance of showers, thunderstorms after 2 p.m. High of 84.
-Thursday night: 20% rain chance before midnight. Low of 52.
-Friday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

-Live radar views:  Click The State or The Region

-For more, click WeatherCenter

 

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-We all know that it's what up front that counts so look out for Notre Dame >Arey

Rome Braves updates> Click sports

-Braves fall to first-place Sandgnats, 4-2

-Rome vs. Savannah tonight, Friday; home vs. Augusta Saturday.

-Recent game photos courtesy of Mills Fitzner> Click

 

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