Northwest Georgia Continues to See Jobless Rate Climb

Even amid a surge of jobs in May in Rome/Floyd and across the region, area counties reported an increase in both county-by-county and regional unemployment rates.

The number was up in all areas vs. April of this year. Only Rome/Floyd matched the May 2023 level while Bartow, Gordon, Polk and Chattooga counties all registered increases.

A combined 5,425 people were jobless in our five counties last month as the labor force climbed to 47,812, Georgia Department of Labor reports show.

A county-by-county look shows:

♦ Floyd: 3.3%, up from April but equal to May of last year. 1,673 residents were without jobs.

♦ Bartow: 3.3%, up from April and from a year earlier. Jobless: 1,780 residents.

♦ Gordon: 3.3%, likewise up from April and from May 2023. Idle: 967 residents.

♦ Polk:♦ 3.6%, up from the previous month and the same month in 2023. Jobless: 689.

♦ Chattooga: 3.8%, again up from April and from 12 months earlier. Idle: 366 people.

Rome recorded a 3.3% jobless rate in May, up three-tenths from April and matching the numbers for the same month in 2023.

“We are witnessing a shift within Georgia’s retail sector and several major industries as companies change the way they do business,” said Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson.

“Alongside these industry changes, there is a growing influx of students and recent college graduates entering the job market, pursuing both temporary and full-time employment. This seasonal increase in workforce participation significantly impacts summertime unemployment rates across communities statewide.”

The May report for Rome/Floyd County shows:

♦ The labor force decreased by 127 and ended the month with 48,712. That number went up by 3,689 when compared to May of 2023.

♦ The market finished the month with 47,089 employed residents. That number decreased by 262 over-the-month and rose by 3,572 when compared to the same time a year ago.

♦ Rome ended May with 47,700 jobs. That number decreased by 100 from April to May and rose by 3,400 when compared to this time last year.

♦ In May, initial unemployment claims decreased by 234 (-44%).

Who’s hiring:

♦ 123 positions are posted on the Rome Floyd Chamber’s jobs page, including a number of positions with area colleges and local government as well as business and tech-based companies.

♦ The Cartersville-Bartow Chamber has 60 positions posted, also dominated by education as well as local companies.

The Northwest Georgia report:

♦ The jobless rate was up five-tenths to 3.3% vs. April; a year earlier, it was 3.1%

♦ The labor force was up 2,126 vs. April and up 12,958 compared to May 2023, a record high.

♦ The number of employed was down 116 over-the-month and up 11,766 over-the-year, to 433,575, another all-time high.

♦ Initial claims were down 1,127 (-40%) over-the-month and down 585 (-26%) over-the-year, to 1,679.