Metro Atlanta’s jobless rate rises to 9.7 percent in May
Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate increased to 9.7 percent in May — up from a revised 9.6 percent in April, the state labor department said Thursday.
There has been little progress from a year ago when the jobless rate was 9.8 percent.
The rate rose in May because:
– More than 21,000 new job seekers entered the labor force looking for work, the labor department said. While about 15,000 of them found a job, about 6,000 did not.
– Also, metro Atlanta had a net loss of 900 jobs. An increase of 1,100 jobs in manufacturing and construction was offset by a loss of 2,000 service-related jobs, the labor department said.
Among the core metro counties, Clayton had the highest rate at 12 percent. It was followed by both Fulton and DeKalb at 10.1 percent. Cobb posted 9.2 percent, while Gwinnett’s rate was 8.8 percent.
The city of Atlanta had a 10.6 percent jobless rate.
Last week, the labor department said Georgia’s unemployment rate was 9.8 percent in May. It was the 46th consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.1 percent.
- Henry Unger, The Biz Beat
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56 comments Add your comment
Fletch
June 23rd, 2011
11:05 am
Still waiting for Red to shower me with his vast knowledge.
Red
June 23rd, 2011
1:26 pm
Fletch – it’s basic math. But I guess you didn’t do that well in school. If people leave those states, the unemployment rate drops. If the unemployed leave a state and go to another, the numbers follow. I guess you could not grasp the simple concept. You must be running Obama’s economic plan. As for Obama “targeting Georgia”, no where did I say that. Leave it to the people who have no argument based in logic to completely take words out of context, twist them, and add to them. Keep blaming Bush and republicans. Keep in mind that Dodd, Frank, and numerous other Dems were right there passing bills to help Wall Street and banks. And also note that Wall Street has continued rolling in profits since Obama has been in office. It does not take a Wharton grad to see that under Obama and a Democratic Congress the rich have continued to get richer. And Obama’s policies have actually increased benefits to Wall Street since he has been in office. So keep blaming Bush if it somehow eases your conscience. But the facts actually show differently. Shovel ready did nothing. Nothing that Obama pledged and promised helped. If anything, it has made matters worse. And now they want to run up debt to keep these failed policies going.
Fletch
June 23rd, 2011
2:05 pm
Red – “So keep blaming Bush if it somehow eases your conscience. ”
I didn’t blame anybody, nor did I give credit to anybody. If you read my previous post, I clearly stated that I’m not an Obama supporter and I did vote for GW in his 1st run and haven’t voted since. Although I will most likely vote for Jon Huntsman since he did an excellent job as Governer in my home state of Utah.
As a business owner and investor, my business hasn’t suffered under Obama, and in fact my investment have done better. Having said all that, you can’t honestly believe that the reason that 40 other states have lower unemployment than Georgia is because they are all flocking to our state. That is laughable at best. The states with the lowest unemployment are usually the best governed by the individual state legislators. Obama is no more responsible for Georgias high unemployment than he is for North Dakotas low unemployment. However, whenever someone lays the blame for all their woes at the feet of a single individual , it truly shows that persons limitations in regard to analysis and independent thought. I’m curious, when you get stuck in traffic, do you blame Obama or the GDOT?
Red
June 23rd, 2011
2:17 pm
If you go back and read my post it was in response to the fools blaming the Republicans who run this state for the high unemployment. If you deny that Georgia’s labor force has not increased due to movement in population you are in denial of facts. Look at the census numbers. For an easier side, check the reapportionment numbers on states that have lost Congressional seats and states that have gained. You do know that this means populations shift right?
Economics is global, not limited to states. Unemployment numbers have far more to do with global situations and federal policy than state legislatures. While businesses may locate based on state benefits, it was a global economy that led to the increase in unemployment. Many businesses moved to GA due to tax breaks, etc. And when the global economy declined, these companies folded and laid off workers. Where they were located was irrelevant in why the economy caused the lay-offs.
So again, look at population shifts. Notice where businesses were headquartered and how those businesses suffered.
And do me a favor….reread my post. I NEVER linked Obama directly to Georgia’s unemployment number. I linked him to the policies he put in place, the promises he gave, and how they all have done more to hurt the US economy than helped. It might help you to actually read and process the actual post rather than rewrite what I said. I never said ANYTHING you claim I said.
ART
June 23rd, 2011
7:51 pm
Fletch your profile of unemployment underscores one of the critical problems thoughout our country . The top 17 states of you 11:03 am post are all predominatly white majority states with very little of illegal aliens or the surge of unemployed thugs hoods and trash that have swept back south from places like Detroit/ New Orleans and other third world New trash american cities! Oklahoma has a definite illegal alien problem but Ga is number 7 with illegals These states for the most part retain their previous American can do attitude and not the gimme something for nothing that permeates Metro Atlanta from School boards/ Atlanta city Counci/lDekalb County etc in all aspects. Headlines today black thugs rob 2 banks shooting one. $50,000.00 reward for arrest of the black trash. The nations trash and unwanted scum have most assuredly been dumped into Atlanta.
The FNA Man
June 26th, 2011
1:17 pm
@SJG33 – see http://www.NACA.com. They can stand between you and the greedy bank and help negotiate a plan for you.