Numbers released on Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor show that the unemployment rate for the Northwest Georgia region saw an increase from April to May of this year.

Northwest Georgia

• The unemployment rate was up five-tenths to 3.3 percent over-the-month, the rate was 3.1 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was up 2,126 over-the-month and up 12,958 over-the-year, to 448,404, an all-time high.
• The number of employed was down 116 over-the-month and up 11,766 over-the-year, to 433,575, an all-time high.
• Initial claims were down 1,127 (-40%) over-the-month and down 585 (-26%) over-the-year, to 1,679.

Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said Thursday, “We are witnessing a shift within Georgia’s retail sector and several major industries as companies change the way they do business,” said Commissioner Bruce Thompson. “Alongside these industry changes, there is a growing influx of students and recent college graduates entering the job market, pursuing both temporary and full-time employment. This seasonal increase in workforce participation significantly impacts summertime unemployment rates across communities statewide.”