Number of workers hits all-time high
The number of people working across Northwest Georgia hit an all-time high during the month of June, according to a press release from the Georgia Department of Labor. That’s a good thing because the labor force is also growing which was in part responsible for the increase in the jobless rate for the month of June.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler indicates that all indicators remain positive for remainder of the year.
The number of employed residents in the region grew to more than 409,000, an all-time high. That is an increase of 902 from the previous month and up 14,079 for the year.
“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.”
In the Northwest Georgia region, initial claims for unemployment were down about 8 percent for the month and down about 7 percent for the year.
The 15-county regional labor force ended June at 426,744, up 11,253 over the last year. That number is up 4,006 from the month of May, more than four times the monthly average increase.
As a result of this spike in the labor force, the unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia region increased by 0.7 percent to 4.1 percent. It was 4.9