Unemployment figures show rise in metro Albany, Southwest Georgia

ALBANY —Metro Albany’s jobless rates in June rose to 7.6 percent, up from 7.3 percent in May but still down from the 9 percent posted a year ago, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department said the unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia region in June was 7.3 percent, up from 7.1 percent the previous month. The rate in June 2014 was 8.8 percent for Southwest Georgia.

Metro Albany’s rate rose as the number of jobs decreased and the number of new layoffs, as measured by unemployment insurance claims, increased. The number of jobs decreased by 1,000, or 1.6 percent, in June to 60,200.

Most of the job losses came in the private, service-related industries, which includes repair and maintenance and personal and laundry services, along with the goods-producing sector, including construction and manufacturing, officials said.

In the Albany area, there was an over-the-year loss of 600 jobs from June 2014. Most of the job losses came in state government and the goods-producing sector, including manufacturing and construction.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 106, or 19.4 percent, in June. Most of the increase came in manufacturing and professional and technical services. Over the year, claims were down by 142, or 17.9 percent, from June 2014, officials with the Labor Department said.

The Southwest Georgia rate reportedly rose because the number of unemployed residents increased by 245. There were 1,200 initial claims for unemployment insurance in June, which is 19, or 1.6 percent, fewer than in May. Most of the decrease came in real estate, rental and leasing.

Claims were down in Southwest Georgia by 286, or 19.2 percent, from the same time last year, the Labor Department said.

“On a positive note, we continue to see a downward trend in the unemployment rate,” said Aaron Johnson, assistant professor of economics at Darton State College. “Though I think that can mainly be attributed to a shrinking labor force than a vibrant job market. The rate of our recovery continues to lag the rest of the state. Based on seasonally adjusted numbers, this will mark the fourth consecutive month of declining job growth. Both Albany and Southwest Georgia are displaying similar trends where a declining unemployment rate is offset by less labor market participation.”

Unemployment rates by county for June in the metro Albany area show Dougherty to be at 8.4 percent, Lee at 6 percent, Worth at 6.9 percent, Terrell at 7.9 percent and Baker at 7.7 percent.

Of the 14 metro areas in the state tracked by the state Labor Department, Albany had the highest rate for June with metro Columbus right behind at 7.4 percent. At 5.3 percent, metro Gainesville had the lowest rate.

Out of the 11 regional areas, the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha area near Dublin had the highest rate at 8.2 percent with the Georgia Mountains area having the lowest rate for June at 5.5 percent.

Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for June was 6.1 percent, down from 6.3 percent in May. It was 7.3 percent in June 2014.

Figures available from the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday said, in the week ending July 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 255,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 281,000. This is the lowest level for initial claims since November 24, 1973 when it was 233,000.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said earlier in the month that the national unemployment rate for June was at 5.3 percent. That is the lowest level since April 2008, when the rate was at 5 percent.