Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Athens added jobs and more people to its labor force in June.
 
Athens also saw its unemployment rate rise and number of employed fall during June, according to preliminary data for the four-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
 
“June was a very strong month for Georgia,” Butler said. “A number of local communities set records as the state added more than 20,000 jobs. Plus, we continued to add to our labor force and see the number of unemployment claims fall. Our local communities continue to prosper.”

Nationally, the unemployment rate inched up 0.1 percentage points in June to reach 3.7 percent. Georgia’s rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to settle at 3.7 percent.
 
In Athens, the unemployment rate rose 0.6 percentage points in June, reaching 3.8 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.3 percent.
 
Athens ended June with 98,900 jobs. That number increased by 100 over the month and increased by 700 jobs when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The labor force increased in June by 369. Athens ended the month with a labor force of 100,781. That number shrunk by 1,250 when compared to June of 2018.
 
Athens ended June with 96,980 employed residents.  That number decreased by 206 over the month and fell by 666 when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The number of unemployment claims went up by about 34 percent in June. When compared to last June, claims were down by about 2 percent.
 
The four-county MSA includes Clarke, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties.