Georgia’s jobless rate remains unchanged at 8.9 percent in May

Media release: State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced today that the
state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.9 percent
from April to May, the first time in 10 months that the jobless rate has
failed to decline. The jobless rate was 9.8 percent in May a year ago.

"Although the unemployment rate held steady, we now have the fewest jobless
workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits since the start of the
recession in 2007, and the numbers of new layoffs and long-term unemployed
are down," said Butler. "And, more good news is that our job growth
continues. We added 16,400 new jobs in May, and we have 34,000 more jobs
than in May a year ago. Fortunately, the growth is in some of our key
industries."

The number of jobs increased to 3,944,900 in May, the most since December
2008. This marked an increase of four-tenths of a percentage point, from
3,928,500 in April and nine-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,910,900 in
May of last year.

The industries showing growth from April to May were trade, transportation,
and warehousing, 6,000; leisure and hospitality, 5,000; manufacturing,
3,000; education and health care, 2,200; and construction, 800. Government
shed 1,300 jobs, mostly in educational services.

Industries showing the most growth since May 2011 were professional and
business services, 24,000, and trade, transportation and warehousing,
16,700. The greatest over-the-year loss of jobs came in the construction
industry with 7,400, followed by local public education with a loss of 4,200
jobs.

In May, there were 73,621 recipients of unemployment insurance benefits. The
number of initial claims filed in May declined by 729, or 1.5 percent, to
46,763. Most of the decrease in claims came across-the-board in trade,
services, manufacturing, and construction. Initial claims also declined over
the year, down 8,080, or 14.7 percent, from 54,843 in May 2011.

The number of long-term unemployed workers decreased by 3,600 in May to
236,900. The long-term unemployed, those out of work for more than 26
weeks, make up 55.7 percent of all unemployed in Georgia. However, the
number of long-term unemployed is down 14,900, or 5.9 percent, from May
2011.