That number is up from the 8.3 percent reported in November 2012.
That figure is down from December 2011, when the unemployment rate was 9.7 percent.
Bartow County’s most recent unemployment numbers are slightly above the metro Atlanta average.
In metro Atlanta, unemployment rose to 8.4 percent in December, up four-tenths of a percentage point from 8.0 percent in November.
The rate was 8.9 percent in December 2011.
According to a statement, the rate rose because of a combination of factors — a slight increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits and an increase in the labor force, as more people began searching for work
There were 115 more new claims for unemployment benefits in construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing and accommodations and food services.
While the initial claims were up from November to December, they were down by 4,916, or 18.3 percent, from 26,828 in December 2011.
The decline in claims led to an over-the-year drop in the area’s jobless rate.
The labor force, those employed or actively searching for a job, increased by 6,174, rising from 2.749 million to 2.755 million in December. The new jobseekers are counted as unemployed until they get work.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.6 percent in December, up one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.5 percent in November.
The rate was 9.4 percent in December a year ago.
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