Unemployment rate rises slightly in Georgia in May, including in Walton and Gwinnett

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said recently that all Regional Commissions recorded a rise in unemployment rates in May.
 
“Even though the labor force increased in all of our regions, counties, and metropolitan service areas, job postings continue to outpace those gains placing strain on employers to find talent for open positions,” Butler said in a press release.  “Many areas across our state are experiencing difficulty in filling many of the seasonal, temporary jobs normally filled with summer workers, due to the opportunities in full-time employment.”
 
The labor force was up in the Coastal Georgia Regional Commission, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Heart of Georgia Regional Commission, Middle Georgia Regional Commission, Northeast Georgia Regional Commission, Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, River Valley Regional Commission, Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, and Three Rivers Regional Commission.
  
Employment was up in the Coastal Georgia Regional Commission, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Heart of Georgia Regional Commission, River Valley Regional Commission, Southern Georgia Regional Commission, and Southwest Georgia Regional Commission.

Claims were down in the Atlanta Regional Commission, Central Savannah River Regional Commission, Coastal Georgia Regional Commission, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Heart of Georgia Regional Commission, Northeast Georgia Regional Commission, Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, and Three Rivers Regional Commission.

The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission incorporates Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties. In this region, the May preliminary unemployment rate was up four-tenths to 2.5 % over the month. The rate was 3.4 % one year ago. The labor force was up 1,093 over the month and up 11,179 over the year to 325,196. The number of employed was down 44 over the month and up 13,952 over the year to 317,190. Initial claims were down 79 (-10%) over the month and down 4,746 (-87%) over the year, to 724. Initial claims were down over the month in Administrative and Support Services and Finance and Insurance, and down over the year in Accommodation and Food Services and Trade.

There were 8,248 jobs in the NE Georgia Regional Commission posted on Employ Georgia.

The Atlanta Regional Commission incorporates Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties. In this region, the May preliminary unemployment rate was up two-tenths to 2.7 % over the month. The rate was 4.2 % a year ago. The labor force was down 1,501 over the month and up 67,167 over the year to 2,508,723 and the number of employed was down 6,318 over the month and up 101,427 over the year to 2,441,001. Initial claims were down 859 (-10%) over the month and down 47,331 (-86%) over the year to 7,475. Initial claims were down over the month in Trade and Finance and Insurance, and down over the year in Administrative and Support Services and Accommodation and Food Services.

There were 107,685 jobs in the Atlanta Regional Commission posted on Employ Georgia.