Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Middle Georgia region’s labor force jumped in June 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.
 
However, the region also saw an increase in the number of employed and a decrease in initial claims for unemployment, both positive moves. 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 Middle Georgia labor force ended June at 224,114, up 3,753 over the last year. That number is up 1,772 over the last month, more than five times the monthly average increase over the year.
 
As a result of this spike in the labor force, the unemployment rate in the Middle Georgia region increased by .7 percent to 4.5 percent. It was 5.3 percent a year ago. 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 213,930, up 123 from the previous month. The area is up 5,349 for the year.
 
In the Middle Georgia region, initial claims for unemployment were down about 17 percent for the month and down about 24 percent for the year.
 
The Middle Georgia region includes Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones. Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, and Wilkinson counties.