Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Southwest Georgia region saw fewer new claims for unemployment filed in June.
 
The 16-county area also posted a decrease in labor force and employed residents, preliminary numbers show.
 
“Georgia’s been in an extended growth cycle,” said Butler. “In June, our state and local communities added jobs and employed more people.”
 
Nationally, the unemployment rate inched up 0.1 percent points in June to reach 3.7 percent. Georgia’s rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to settle at 3.7 percent.
 
In the region, the unemployment rate increased in June by 0.5 percentage points in June, settling at 4.4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 5.1 percent.
 
The labor force decreased in June by 1,608. The June total was 145,478. That number is down by 3,972 from the total from June 2018.
 
Southwest Georgia ended June with 139,009 employed residents.  The number decreased by 2,279 in June and went down by 2,863 as compared to last June.
 
The number of unemployment claims decreased in June by about 8 percent. When compared to last June, claims were down by about 29 percent.