Georgia's Jobless Rate Rises Slightly in May

Georgia’s unemployment rate rose slightly in May, the state department of labor said Thursday.

The May rate of 6.3 percent was up from the April rate of 6.2 percent, according to figures released by the Georgia Department Labor. The rate in May 2014 was 7.3 percent.

“Our labor force expanded for the 18th month in a row, and that’s probably the biggest factor in driving up the rate,” State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in a statement. “Also, initial unemployment claims were up, but by less than one percent.”

The labor force grew to 4,774,912, an increase of 7,379 from April, and while the new entrants are searching for work, they’re counted as unemployed. The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance in May rose 0.7 percent from April. Most of the increase in claims came in health care and social assistance, along with accommodations and food services. Over the year, claims were down 15.8 percent, the labor department said.

““Over the year, we’re still showing strong job growth,” Butler said. “We had 114,900 more jobs than we did a year ago. And, the pace of job growth in Georgia at 2.8 percent is better than the national average at 2.2 percent. Right now, we’re showing a stronger pace of growth than we did last year, and 2014 was a very good year.”

May jobless figures in local areas will be released next week.