Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.3 percent in May to 6.1 percent in June, the state labor department said Thursday.
The Georgia jobless rate hasn’t fallen below 6 percent since the summer of 2008, but it is finally getting close. Unfortunately, it’s not because of robust hiring.
Here’s what is going on:
— Hiring was slow during the month. At the same time, the number of people entering the workforce was down, which is why the unemployment rate dropped.
The labor force fell by 12,981 from May, breaking a streak of 18 consecutive months of growth. The economy added only 2,300 jobs.
— The sectors adding employees included local government, trade, transportation and warehousing, manufacturing, education and health service
— Sectors losing during the month were leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, information services and construction.
— Still, the larger trend is solid. Over the last 12 months, the state’s economy has added 106,000 jobs. The sectors doing best were trade, transportation and warehousing, 32,100; professional and business services, 25,700; leisure and hospitality, 21,800; education and health services, 17,800.
— Layoffs seemed to be up slightly as the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 4,673. But over the year they are down 14 percent.
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