Georgia
Department of Labor
NEWS RELEASE
SUITE 642
(404) 232-3685
148 INTERNATIONAL BOULEVARD, N.E.
ATLANTA, GA 30303-1751
FAX (404) 657-9996
Communications@dol.state.ga.us
Michael Thurmond
Commissioner
Sam Hall
Director of Communications
June 26, 2008....................................................... . . FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Metro Warner Robins' unemployment rate rises in May
ATLANTA The Georgia Department of Labor reported today that the unemployment rate in the metro Warner Robins area rose to a preliminary 4.7 percent in May, up five-tenths of one percent from a revised 4.2 percent in April.
Meanwhile, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped to 5.8 percent in May, up five-tenths of one percent from 5.3 percent in April. The unemployment rate increased because layoffs in manufacturing and other industries pushed the total number of unemployed workers up from 258,191 in April to 284,816 in May, the highest level ever recorded in Georgia.
The current adjusted state rate, which is three-tenths of one percent higher than the U.S. seasonally-adjusted rate of 5.5 percent, continued to top the national rate for the past four months. The state rate was the highest recorded for the month of May since 1993.
Job growth in May failed to keep pace with the number of job seekers looking for work, contributing to the increase in the state unemployment rate. Preliminary unadjusted data from April to May show Georgia gained only 9,400 payroll jobs, an increase of two-tenths of one percent. The data includes workers who hold more than one job. In metro Warner Robins, the number of jobs was up 400, or seven-tenths of one percent, from 59,300 to 59,700.
The local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.
NEWS MEDIA NEEDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MAY CALL (404) 232-3685.
TABLE AND GRAPHS REFLECTING LABOR MARKET DATA ARE AVAILABLE AT
http://www.dol.state.ga.us/pr/current_data.htm
CY-08-271