Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Middle Georgia region added to its labor force in October.
 
At the same time, the 11-county area saw its initial claims and unemployment rate increase.  All major indicators remain positive for the year.
 
“Georgia’s job market has been strong all year, across all 12 regions,” Butler said. “We continue to add jobs, employed residents and grow our labor force. We have much to be thankful for.”
 
The October unemployment rate rose to 4.3 percent, up by .8 percent from September. That’s 10th among 12 regions in Georgia. It was 5.1 percent one year ago. The rate increased in all 12 regions across the state.
 
The labor force increased in October by 1,096 to reach 220,829 total members. The number has inched up by 173 over the past 12 months, or an average of about 14 per month.
 
The Middle Georgia region lost 652 employed residents in October, pushing its total to 211,353. That number has grown by 2,020 over the past year, or an average monthly gain of nearly 170.  
 
Initial claims for unemployment jumped by about 150 percent for the month. They are down by about 21 percent when compared to last October.