Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Southern Georgia’s unemployment rate decreased in May. 

Due to the effects of COVID-19, all regions and counties continue to see stinted yearly growth, yet monthly gains in nearly all major sectors are beginning to spike.   

“The fact that almost every single monthly indicator in May’s job market report was positive shows great promise to Georgia’s economy up ahead,” said Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. “Seeing these monthly numbers begin to increase means that we are definitely heading back in the right direction.”   

In Southern Georgia, the unemployment rate decreased in May to 6.7 percent, a decrease of 2.8 percentage points. A year ago, the rate was 3.4 percent. 

The labor force increased in May by 782. The May total was 173,561. That number is down by 4,266 from the total from May 2018. 

Southern Georgia ended May with 161,955 employed residents.  The number increased by 5,629 in May and was down 9,813 as compared to last year.

Initial claims for unemployment decreased by 39 percent in May. When compared to last May, claims were up by about 2,447 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 1,131 active job postings in Southern Georgia for May.