The Georgia Mountains Labor Force was at an all-time high in June as summer job seekers hit the market.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday the region's labor force jumped last month, growing faster than could be absorbed through hiring. That means the unemployment rate also ticked up for the month.
Butler said, still, all indicators remain positive for the year. Despite the increase in the unemployment rate, he remains confident in the overall job market.
“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.”
The Georgia Mountains labor force ended June at 352,405, up 10,880 over the last year to an all-time high. That number is up 2,471 over the last month, nearly three times the monthly average increase over the year.
As a result of this spike in the labor force, the unemployment rate in the Georgia Mountains region increased by .7 percent to 3.6 percent. It was 4.3 percent a year ago. This is the lowest unemployment rate of all 12 regions in the state. The rates in Georgia’s 12 regions vary from a low of 3.6 percent in the Georgia Mountains to 5.2 percent in the River Valley and Heart of Georgia regions.
The number of employed residents in the region fell to 339,639, down 10 from the previous month. The area remains up 12,822 for the year.
In the Georgia Mountains region, initial claims for unemployment were down about 1 percent for the month and down about 13 percent for the year.
The Georgia Mountains region includes Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White counties.
