Georgia Department of Labor Press Release:
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Southern Georgia region’s labor force jumped in June as summer job seekers hit the market.
With the labor force growing faster than could be absorbed through hiring, the unemployment rate also ticked up for the month.
Still, all indicators remain positive for the year.
The commissioner explained that despite an increase in the unemployment rate, he remains confident about the overall job market.
“The Georgia job market is very strong,” said Butler. “An increase in the unemployment rate is common this time of year due to an increase in high school and college graduates entering the workforce.”
The Southern Georgia labor force ended June at 182,602, up 2,865 over the last year. That number is up 970 over the last month, more than four times the monthly average increase over the year.
As a result of this spike in the labor force, the unemployment rate in the Southern Georgia region increased by .8 percent to 4.5 percent. It was 5.3 percent a year ago. The rates in Georgia’s 12 regions vary from a low of 3.6 percent in the Georgia Mountains to 5.2 percent in the Heart of Georgia and River Valley regions.
The number of employed residents in the region fell to 174,420, down 452 from the previous month. The area remains up 4,278 for the year.
In the Southern Georgia region, initial claims for unemployment were down about 15 percent for the month and down about 24 percent for the year.
The Southern Georgia Regional Commission includes Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware counties.
Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 628 active job postings in the Southern Georgia region for June.
Visit 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.
