Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Northeast Georgia region’s labor force and number of employed jumped in June to record highs as summer job seekers hit the market.
 
With the labor force growing faster than could be absorbed through hiring, the unemployment rate also ticked up for the month.
 
Still, all indicators remain positive for the year.
 
The commissioner explained that despite an increase in the unemployment rate, he remains confident about the overall job market.
 
“The Georgia job market is very strong,” said Butler. “An increase in the unemployment rate is common this time of year due to an increase in high school and college graduates entering the workforce.”
 
The Northeast Georgia labor force ended June at 311,360, up 8,537 over the last year to an all-time high. That number is up 2,390 over the last month, nearly four times the monthly average increase over the year.
 
As a result of this spike in the labor force, the unemployment rate in the Northeast Georgia region increased by .7 percent to 4.0 percent. It was 4.8 percent a year ago. This is the second lowest unemployment rate of Georgia’s 12 regions. The rates in Georgia’s 12 regions vary from a low of 3.6 percent in the Georgia Mountains to 5.2 percent in the River Valley and Heart of Georgia regions.
 
The number of employed residents in the region grew to 298,921, an all-time high. This is up 160 from the previous month and up 10,641 for the year.
 
In the Northeast Georgia region, initial claims for unemployment were down about 13 percent for the month and down about 24 percent for the year.
 
The Northeast Georgia region includes Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.