Jobless numbers drop in July

Special to the News

Updated: Aug 28, 2013, 4:07 PM

Published: Aug 28, 2013, 4:09 PM

The jobless rates in metro Savannah and coastal Georgia saw decreases in July, according to the state labor department.
The Georgia Department of Labor announced last week that metro Savannah’s unemployment rate decreased to 8.7 percent in July, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.8 percent in June. The rate was 8.9 percent in July a year ago.
The rate declined because the number of layoffs, represented by new claims for unemployment insurance benefits, decreased by 436, or 23.5 percent, to 1,418, down from 1,854 in June, according to the labor department. Most of the decline came in transportation, warehousing, and accommodations and food services.
A labor department press release said there were 157,500 jobs in July in metro Savannah, down by 1,500 from 159,000 in June. Most of the job loss came in local government and leisure and hospitality. The area has gained 700 jobs since the 156,800 jobs in July 2012. The annual gains came mostly in trade and transportation, leisure and hospitality, and education and health services.
The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, declined by 648 to 181,812 in July, down from 182,460 in June. It was down by 2,084 from 183,896 in July 2012.
In the state’s coastal region, the unemployment rate decreased to 9.4 percent in July, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 9.5 percent in June. The rate was 9.6 percent in July a year ago.
According to the labor department, the rate declined because the number of unemployed residents declined by 618 to 29,897. There were 289,674 employed residents.
The labor force declined by 812 to 319,571 in July, down from 320,383 in June. It was down by 2,667 from 322,238 in July 2012.
The number of layoffs, represented by new claims for unemployment insurance benefits, increased by 127, or 4.3 percent, to 3,086 from 2,959 in June. Claims were up in manufacturing, construction and trade.
Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.9 percent, while metro Dalton and the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region tied for the highest at 12.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 8.8 percent, up from 8.5 percent in June. The rate was 9.1 percent in July a year ago.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.

Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port

The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

GardenCityTerminal — The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

Bryan County News

Updated: May 23, 2018, 1:59 AM

Published: May 23, 2018, 2:00 AM

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

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