Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Wednesday that the Southern Georgia region added to its labor force in May.

The unemployment rate slightly increased, while Southern Georgia posted monthly gains in employed residents, preliminary numbers showed.

“In May, we saw much needed growth in our labor force in many local areas,” Butler said. “We also saw more Georgians become employed. Overall, we head into the summer with a good jobs report.”

The May unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points, coming in at 3.6 percent.  It was 3.8 percent one year ago.

The labor force grew in May by 1,060 to reach 178,843 total members. The number has decreased by 658 over the past 12 months.

The Southern Georgia region gained 471 employed residents in May, pushing its total to 172,440. That number has decreased by 207 over the past year.

Initial claims for unemployment increased by about 14 percent in May. They are down by 3 percent when compared to last May.