Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Southwest Georgia region’s labor force jumped in June as summer job seekers hit the market.
 
With the labor force growing faster than could be absorbed through hiring, the unemployment rate also ticked up for the month.
 
However, the region also saw an increase in the number of employed, and all indicators remain positive for the year.
 
The commissioner explained that despite an increase in the unemployment rate, he remains confident about the overall job market.
 
“The Georgia job market is very strong,” said Butler. “An increase in the unemployment rate is common this time of year due to an increase in high school and college graduates entering the workforce.”
 
The Southwest Georgia labor force ended June at 153,732, up 1,850 over the last year. That number is up 1,384 over the last month, nearly nine times the monthly average increase over the year.
 
As a result of this spike in the labor force, the unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia region increased by .9 percent to 4.9 percent. It was 5.7 percent a year ago. The rates in Georgia’s 12 regions vary from a low of 3.6 percent in the Georgia Mountains to 5.2 percent in the River Valley and Heart of Georgia regions.
 
The number of employed residents in the region grew to 146,210, up 17 from the previous month. The area is up 2,975 for the year.
 
In the Southwest Georgia region, initial claims for unemployment were down about 2 percent for the month but up about 1 percent for the year.