Jobless Rates Spike in May in Georgia, Barrow County

New graduates and summer-job seekers contributed to a rise in the unemployment rate in May in Georgia, according to the state Department of Labor.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was 7.2 percent, up from 6.9 percent in April. The rate was 8.4 percent in May a year ago.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.8 percent. Oconee County had the lowest rate at 4.6 among counties.

In Barrow County, the rate jumped from 5.9 percent in April to 6.7 in May. The number of unemployed in the county rose from 2,000 in April to 2,295 in May. The rate was 7.5 percent in May 2013.

Note: Local area unemployment data is not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.employgeorgia.com