Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Valdosta posted strong annual numbers in June.

Valdosta dipped down in monthly numbers, including jobs, labor force, and employed residents, according to preliminary numbers across the four-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA). All annual numbers remained positive.

“June was a very strong month for Georgia,” Butler said. “A number of local communities set records as the state added more than 20,000 jobs. Plus, we continued to add to our labor force and see the number of unemployment claims fall. Our local communities continue to prosper.”

Nationally, the unemployment rate inched up 0.1 percent points in June to reach 3.7 percent. Georgia’s rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to settle at 3.7 percent.

In Valdosta, the unemployment rate increased in June by 0.7 percentage points to settle at 4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.6 percent. 

The labor force decreased in June by 204 to reach 64,463. That number is up by 86 from the total of June 2018.

Jobs decreased for Valdosta over the month by 300, coming in at 57,200.  When compared to the same time last year, Valdosta gained 1,500 jobs.

Valdosta ended June with 61,906 employed residents.  The number decreased by 599 in June and was up by 498 over June 2018’s total.

The numbers of unemployment claims went up in June by about 25 percent and were down by about 1 percent from the same period last year.    

The four-county MSA includes Brooks, Echols, Lanier and Lowndes counties.