ATLANTA - The state Department of Labor said today that Georgia's unemployment rate rose slightly in May. <br>
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The unemployment rate was four-point-five percent in May -- up from four-point-two percent in April. <br>
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In May 2001, the state's jobless rate was three-point-six percent. <br>
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Employment totaled more than three (m) million jobs last month. <br>
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Since January, the number of jobs in Georgia has grown by more than 59-thousand or one-point-five percent. The growth has been mostly in services, manufacturing and construction. <br>
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"Ironically, the increase in the state's unemployment rate may be an indication that many of our discouraged workers now feel better about their chances to return to work," said state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. <br>
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The department did not release May unemployment rates for Georgia's metropolitan areas. Those figures will be released next week. <br>
