Georgia Mtns Labor Force Grows in June

The Georgia Mountains’ labor force increased in June, according to State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

Butler said Georgia continues to see an increase in the number of jobs available and very few actual reported layoffs through the WARN system, both good signs of an improving economy.

WARN stands for Georgia’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1989.

WARN offers protection to workers, their families, and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and covered mass layoffs.

In the Georgia Mountains region, the unemployment rate increased in June to 3.2 percent, an increase of three-tenths percentage points. A year ago, the rate was 6.3 percent.

Initial claims for unemployment, however, decreased by 21 percent in June. When compared to last June, claims were down about 86 percent.

In Franklin County, the Dept of Labor reported 222 initial claims for unemployment benefits in June – up from 197 in May.

A year ago, June 2020 saw 1,153 claims filed in Franklin County for unemployment benefits.

Hart County had 142 initial claims for unemployment benefit last month – down from 155 in May.

786 claims for unemployment were filed in Hart County in June 2020.

Meantime, the labor force in the Georgia Mountains region increased in June by 489 to 356,759.

Georgia Mountains ended June with 345,395 employed residents.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 5,153 active job postings in Georgia Mountains for June.

Job seekers can visit gdol.ga.gov to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia, and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers.