Georgia jobless rate hits double digits

By Michael E. Kanell

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The state Department of Labor reported Wednesday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped half a percentage point to 10.1 percent in June, the highest rate ever recorded. The rate had been 9.6 percent in May.

“Georgia is in the midst of a deepening economic crisis,” said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.

Last month, 483,394 unemployed Georgians were looking for work, an increase of 65 percent from June of 2008. Only one-third of those who are officially jobless are receiving unemployment benefits, Thurmond said.

The state, whose unemployment rate has been leading the nation upward since late 2007, again climbed ahead of the U.S. rate, which was 9.5 percent last month.

“This is not a surprise -- Georgia has been rising a little higher than the national average,” said economist Roger Tutterow of the Stetson School of Business at Mercer University. “That reflects the heavy exposure that our economy has had to real estate, especially construction, and the professional services that are linked to real estate.”

The June jobless rate was up 4.0 percentage points from 6.1 percent from June 2008.

The state has lost 209,500 jobs since June of last year -- more than one in every 20.

The over-the-year losses came in professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies, manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, and in the construction industry.

On a positive note, healthcare and educational services, showed a combined increase of 12,000 jobs.