Northwest Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Drops in May

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Northwest Georgia’s unemployment rate decreased in May.

Due to the effects of COVID-19, all regions and counties continue to see stinted yearly growth, yet monthly gains in nearly all major sectors are beginning to spike.

“The fact that almost every single monthly indicator in May’s job market report was positive shows great promise to Georgia’s economy up ahead,” said Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. “Seeing these monthly numbers begin to increase means that we are definitely heading back in the right direction.”

In Northwest Georgia, the unemployment rate decreased in May to 8.7 percent, a decrease of 4.2 percentage points. A year ago, the rate was 3.2 percent.

The labor force decreased in May by 2,768. The May total was 407,856. That number is down by 9,638 from the total from May 2018.

Northwest Georgia ended May with 372,558 employed residents.  The number increased by 15,107 in May and was down 31,649 as compared to last year.

Initial claims for unemployment decreased by 44 percent in May. When compared to last May, claims were up by about 3,276 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 2,720 active job postings in Northwest Georgia for May.

The Northwest Georgia region includes Bartow, Chattooga, Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield.