Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Augusta added to its labor force in December.

According to preliminary data, Augusta also ended December with more employed residents and jobs. The seven-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA) also maintained yearly gains in all major indicators.

“This was a very positive year for the state,” Butler said. “We saw over-the-year growth in almost every MSA, and our key jobs sectors continue to grow as the economy expands.”

In Augusta, the unemployment increased by 0.1 percentage points in December, reaching 2.9 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.9 percent.

Augusta ended December with 246,200 jobs. The jobs number rose by 200 in December. The number is up by 2,500 when compared to the same time a year ago

The labor force increased in December by 834 to reach 268,502. That number has gone up by 536 when compared to December of 2018.

Augusta counted 260,602 employed residents in December.  That number increased by 488 over the month and increased by 3,055 when compared to the same time a year ago.

The number of unemployment claims went up by about 162 percent in December. When compared to last December, claims were down by about 10 percent.