The following is a press release from the Georgia Department of Labor:

The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in the Coastal Georgia region in June was 5.6 percent, up 1 percent from 4.6 percent in May. The rate in June 2015 was 6.3 percent.

The rate rose as the labor force increased by 4,944 to 324,821, as students and others entered the job market looking for work. The labor force consists of people employed and those who are unemployed but actively looking for jobs. The number of employed workers rose by 1,625, while the number of unemployed people increased by 3,319.      

Also, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 281, or 20.1 percent, to 1,676 in June. Most of the increase came in manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, and accommodations and food services. However, over the year, claims were down by 494, or 22.8 percent, from 2,170 in June 2015.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia/Altamaha region had the highest at 6.9 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for June was 5.1 percent, down from 5.3 percent in May. It was 5.8 percent in June 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In June, 3,794 new job openings in Coastal Georgia were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 64,944 new job openings were posted.