Northeast Georgia's Unemployment Rate Rises Slightly in May

The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in the Northeast Georgia region increased to 7.6 percent in May, up six-tenths of a percentage point from 7.0 percent in April. The rate was 8.0 percent in May a year ago.

The rate increased primarily because of an increase in layoffs and the seasonal influx of jobseekers into the labor force, as new graduates began searching for work.

The number of layoffs, represented by initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits, rose by 160, or 8.4 percent, to 2,066 in May from 1,906 in April. The increases came mostly in health care and social assistance, educational services, accommodations and food services, and manufacturing. However, the number of initial claims was down over the year by 520, or 20.1 percent, from 2,586 in May 2012. Most of the over-the-year decrease came in manufacturing and retail trade.

The number of people entering the labor force, those employed and actively seeking employment, rose by 1,878 to 298,453 in May from 296,575 in April.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.5 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was 8.3 percent, up from 8.2 percent in April. The rate was 9.1 percent in May a year ago.

From a Georgia Department of Labor press release.