Bartow Unemployment Up to 9.4%

Bartow County’s unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in June, according to preliminary figures announced today by the Georgia Department of Labor.

May's revised jobless rate for Bartow was 8.9 percent. The rate was and 10.2 percent in June 2011.

The rise paralleled wider trends:

• For the 15 counties covered by the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, the jobless rate rose to 9.7 percent in June from from 9.1 percent in May and 10.6 percent in June 2011.
• The rate increased because 1,491 new job seekers entered the labor force, but were unable to find work, pushing unemployment up 2,798.

• For the 28-county metro Atlanta area, the preliminary unemployment rate rose to 9.3 percent in June from 8.6 percent in May. The rate was 10.2 percent in June 2011.
• The rate increased because 17,526 new job seekers entered the labor force, but were unable to find work. Also, there were 350 new layoffs in retail trade, administrative and support services, educational services, and health care and social assistance.

• Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 9 percent in June from 8.9 percent in May, the first increase in almost a year. The jobless rate was 9.9 percent in June a year ago.
• The number of jobs in the state dropped by 8,200, or two-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,941,500 in May to 3,933,300 in June. However, jobs were up by 45,200 from 3,888,100 in June 2011.

The state and national rates are adjusted for seasonal factors; the regional and local rates are not.