The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the four-county Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 4.3% in June, up six-tenths over the month. A year ago, the rate was 4.5%.

“June's unemployment trends tell a familiar story — Georgia's students are stepping into our workforce as schools let out for summer, creating the temporary unemployment and hiring fluctuations typical for this time of year,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “With Georgia's recent historic announcement of 5 million jobs, these students are stepping into a local workforce that belongs to them, in a state that's proven over and over that when Georgians show up, opportunity follows.”

The labor force in Valdosta decreased by 93 from the previous month and ended June with 60,089. That number declined by 1,830 from June 2024.

Valdosta finished June with 57,516 employed residents, down 428 from May and 1,594 from June 2024.

Valdosta ended June with 56,400 jobs, down 200 from May and 700 from June 2024.

In June, initial unemployment claims increased by 22 from the previous month and fell by 36 from the same month a year ago, totaling 207.