Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Bartow County set records in July for labor force and employed residents.

At the same time, the unemployment rate dropped for the month, preliminary numbers show.

“Georgia continues to perform well in terms of jobs, claims and other data I’m seeing,” said Butler. “Georgia’s strong economy was also clear in our local communities in July, a month that saw several again set records.”

Nationally, the unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 3.7 percent. Georgia’s rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to settle at 3.6 percent.  A year ago, Georgia’s unemployment rate sat at 3.8 percent.

In Bartow, the unemployment rate for July went down by 0.1 percentage points, settling at 3.5 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4 percent.

The labor force in Bartow County rose by 200 in July, bringing the total to 50,530 – a new record. The number has risen by 53 when compared to the same month a year ago.

Bartow County added 222 employed residents in July, bringing the total to 48,759. The number is up 307 for the year.

Claims for unemployment insurance were up by 87 percent in July. They were down by about 6 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 181 active job postings in metro Bartow County for July.