Georgia Unemployment Rate Rises to 8.3%

More than 2,300 additional people filed unemployment insurance claims in Cobb County in May.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced last week that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.2 percent in April, That was eight-tenths of a percentage point lower than the 9.1 percent rate of May 2012.

“The rate increased primarily because more jobseekers entered the labor force looking for work,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “And, there was a slight increase in layoffs, many of which were temporary.

“Despite the slight increase in the unemployment rate, Georgia employers continued to create jobs for the fourth consecutive month, giving us the largest number of jobs we’ve had since December 2008,” Butler continued. “And, it’s very encouraging that the number of construction jobs has increased for the third consecutive month.”

In May, 177,600 Georgia workers had been jobless for more than 26 weeks, which is the definition of being unemployed long term. Another 500 people joined the ranks of long-term unemployed since April. The long-term unemployed make up 44.2 percent of all unemployed in Georgia.

Jobs

Georgia: 4,043,200 in May 2013, up by 15,800 jobs from April 2013

Layoffs

Georgia: 46,882 in May 2013, up by 4,238 layoffs from April 2013

Cobb: 2,396 in May 2013, up 573

Atlanta MSA: 21,677 in May 2013, up 2,892