Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Southwest Georgia’s unemployment rate decreased in May.

Due to the effects of COVID-19, all regions and counties continue to see stinted yearly growth, yet monthly gains in nearly all major sectors are beginning to spike.  

“The fact that almost every single monthly indicator in May’s job market report was positive shows great promise to Georgia’s economy up ahead,” said Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. “Seeing these monthly numbers begin to increase means that we are definitely heading back in the right direction.”   

In Southwest Georgia, the unemployment rate decreased in May to 7 percent, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points. A year ago, the rate was 3.8 percent.

The labor force increased in May by 991. The May total was 143,027. That number is down by 3,010 from the total from May 2018. 

Southwest Georgia ended May with 133,007 employed residents.  The number increased by 4,322 in May and was down 7,478 as compared to last year. 

Initial claims for unemployment decreased by 36 percent in May. When compared to last May, claims were up by about 2,924 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 1,412 active job postings in Southwest Georgia for May.