Northwest Georgia Jobless Claims Rise in June

June was another month of contradictions for the area’s employment levels. The jobless rate jumped to the highest point in 13 months amid a 4,300-job surge in June compared to the same month in 2023.

The latest state Department of Labor reports show Northwest Georgia also saw a jump from 3.3% in June 2023 to 3.9% last month.

A county-by-county review shows:

Gordon — ♦ 3.7%, an increase from May and from 12 months earlier.

Bartow — ♦ 3.8%, likewise up vs. the previous month and year.

Floyd — ♦ 3.9%. up from May and from June 2023.

Polk — ♦ 4.2%, also up from the two comparison points.

Chattooga♦ — 4.6%, the highest in the region and up from May and from June of last year.

The labor department reports “all-time highs” in June for the number of people working in Georgia even as the jobless rate rose a tick to 3.2%. That, in part, was attributed to an influx of student workers as high schools and colleges break for summer.

A county-by-county comparison shows:

Gordon — ♦ 155 claims, a mixed report — down from May but up from 12 months earlier.

Bartow — ♦ 184 claims, down from May and from June 2023.

♦ Floyd — 235 claims, down from May and last June.

Polk — ♦ 87 claims, down from both May and from June 2023.

Chattooga — ♦ 54, the only local county to report an increase from May but still down from the same month last year.

The Northwest Georgia report:

♦ The unemployment rate was up six-tenths to 3.9% vs. May; it was 3.3% a year ago.

♦ The number of employed was down 2,169 from May but up 10,687 compared to June 2023, or 431,499.

♦ Initial jobless claims were up 78 from May but down 170 from 12 months earlier.

Statewide numbers:

♦ Georgia’s June unemployment rate was 3.3%, up a tenth from May.

♦ Jobs were up by 8,900 (0.2%) over the month and up by 64,200 (1.3%) over the year to 4,979,800, an all-time high.

♦ The labor force was up by 15,502 to 5,391,294, a record, and has increased by almost 48,000 over the past three months. The labor force was up by 81,242 over the past 12 months.

♦ The number of employed was up by 8,493 to 5,214,373, an all-time high, and was up by 74,279 over the past 12 months.

♦ The number of unemployed increased by 7,009 to 176,291 and was up by 6,963 over the past 12 months.

♦ Initial claims were up by 1,833 (9%) over the month to 21,867 in June. Initial claims were down by 1,610 (-7%) over the year.

For more employment numbers and information, visit the state Department of Labor at dol.georgia.gov online.