Local Voices

Woodstock Jobless Rate Rises To 7.4 Percent

The city, along with metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia, saw its preliminary unemployment rate jump in May.

Woodstock saw its preliminary unemployment rate increase last month, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

The city's jobless rate climbed to 7.4 percent in May from 6.5 percent in April. Woodstock's rate in May 2013 clocked in at 8.3 percent. 

Cherokee County's jobless also increased to 6.2 percent in May from 5.3 percent in April. The county's rate in May 2013 clocked in at 6.7 percent

The rise in the local rates reflects the increase in metro Atlanta's unemployment rate. The region's rate increased to 7.3 percent in May, up from 6.5 percent in April. However, the rate remains below the 8 percent recorded in May 2013.

The rate increase was seasonal, as new graduates entered the labor force looking for full-time work, while other students searched for part-time summer jobs, the GDOL said in a news release. The labor force rose by 24,421, up to 2.75 million in May from 2.72 million in April.

While the rate rose, the number of jobs increased by 19,700, or 0.8 percent, to 2.46 million in May from 2.44 million in April. 

The increase is significantly larger than the 10,100 average gain between April and May over the past three years, GDOL noted. 

Most of last month's job gains came in professional and business services, 6,900; leisure and hospitality, 4,700; trade, transportation, and warehousing, 3,600; financial services, 2,200; construction, 1,800; manufacturing, 1,000; education and health services, 500; information services, 300; and other services, 400. Government lost 1,700 jobs.

The over-the-year job growth is the largest May-to-May increase since 2006, GDOL notes. The number of jobs increased by 59,400, or 2.5 percent, from 2,405,800 in May 2013. 

The job gainers were in professional and business services, 20,100; trade, transportation, and warehousing, 14,600; leisure and hospitality, 9,400; construction, 7,100; education and health services, 4,800; financial services, 2,800; manufacturing, 2,200; and information services, 500. Government lost 1,400 jobs.

Also, there were 15,581 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in May, an increase of 141, or 0.9 percent, from 15,440 in April. Most of the increase in claims came in accommodations and food services and health care. There were 21,677 claims filed in May 2013.

Georgia's preliminary unemployment rate for May stands at 7.2 percent, up from 6.9 percent in April. It's still lower than the May 2013 rate of 8.4 percent, however. 


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