Georgia Mountains’ Unemployment Rate Declines to 4 Percent in May

June 23, 2016

Georgia Mountains’ unemployment rate declines to 4 percent in May

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in the Georgia Mountains region in May was 4 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 4.3 percent in April.  The rate in May 2015 was 5.2 percent.

The rate declined as the number of employed residents rose by 2,890 and the Georgia Mountains region’s labor force increased by 2,188 to 318,760.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 233, or 15.5 percent, to 1,739 in May. Most of the increase came in manufacturing. And, over the year, claims were up by 457, or 35.6 percent, from 1,282 in May 2015.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 3.8 percent, while the Heart of Georgia/Altamaha region had the highest at 6.1 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for May was 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in April. It was 5.9 percent in May 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In May, 1,971 jobs in the Georgia Mountains’ region were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 63,508 jobs were posted.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.

To learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers, and to connect with us on social media, visit www.dol.georgia.gov