The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the four-county Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 3.7% in May, up three-tenths over the month. A year ago, the rate was 3.9%.

“Georgia's strength isn't measured in single months — it's proven over time," said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. "Even with slight unemployment increases throughout Georgia's regions in May, most of our metropolitan areas are showing lower unemployment than a year ago. That resilience reflects our modern, adaptive workforce, which is what keeps Georgia the No. 1 state for business in today's competitive, global marketplace.”

The labor force in Valdosta decreased by 415 from the previous month and ended May with 60,264. That number declined by 1,507 from May 2024.

Valdosta finished the month with 58,025 employed residents. That number decreased by 616 from the previous month and fell by 1,356 from the same time last year.

Valdosta ended May with 56,700 jobs, down 100 from the previous month and down 700 from the same time last year.

In May, initial unemployment claims decreased by 35 from the previous month and fell by 42 from the same month a year ago, totaling 185.