The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate for May was 5.8 percent, up five-tenths of a percentage point from 5.3 percent in April.  The rate in May 2014 was 6.6 percent.

The rate rose as the number of jobs declined and the labor force increased. 

The number of jobs in Athens decreased by 500, or 0.5 percent, in May to 92,500. Most of the job losses came in state government, primarily among non-contract school employees. 

And as there were fewer jobs, the number of people looking for work increased, as the labor force rose by 325 to 94,572.  While the new entrants are searching for work, they are counted as unemployed. Last year in May, the labor force grew by 881.   

Despite having fewer jobs in May than in April, Athens held to a solid over-the year gain of 2,500 jobs, or 2.8 percent, from May 2014. Most of the growth came in leisure and hospitality, state government, professional and business services and retail trade. 

There were 423 initial claims for unemployment insurance in May, a decline of 11, or 2.5 percent, from April. Most of the decrease came in construction. Over the year, claims were down by six, or 1.4 percent, from 429 filed in May 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 7.7 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for May was 6.3 percent, up from a revised 6.2 percent in April. It was 7.3 percent in May 2014.