Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the unemployment rate in the Three Rivers region fell in August.    
 
Preliminary results showed the 10-county area also saw fewer unemployment claims filed. Annual numbers for labor force and employed residents continued to improve.
 
“Georgia had another strong month in August,” said Butler. “The state set several records. Our local communities saw fewer unemployment claims filed as well as a drop in unemployment rates.”
 
Nationally, the unemployment rate was unchanged in August at 3.7 percent. The nation also grew its labor force, increased the number of employed residents and added more 130,000 jobs.
 
Georgia’s unemployment rate also held constant in August, staying at 3.6 percent.  A year ago, Georgia’s unemployment rate sat at 3.8 percent. The state’s all-time low of 3.4 percent was set in December 2000.
 
Rates fell or held steady across 10 of Georgia’s 12 planning regions.
 
In Three Rivers, the unemployment rate decreased in August by 0.1 percentage point, settling at 3.6 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4 percent.
 
The labor force went down in August by 1,994 to reach 247,157. That number is up by 1,448 from the total from August 2018.
 
The Three Rivers region ended August with 238,276 employed.  The number decreased by 1,666 in August and went up by 2,391 as compared to last August.
 
The number of unemployment claims fell in August by about 59 percent. When compared to last August, claims were down by about 6 percent.