Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Macon added to its labor force in June.

According to preliminary data, Macon also saw unemployment claims fall across the five-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).

“June was a very strong month for Georgia,” Butler said. “A number of local communities set records as the state added more than 20,000 jobs. Plus, we continued to add to our labor force and see the number of unemployment claims fall. Our local communities continue to prosper.”

Nationally, the unemployment rate inched up 0.1 percent points in June to reach 3.7 percent. Georgia’s rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to settle at 3.7 percent.

In Macon, the unemployment rate increased by 0.4 percentage points in June, reaching 4.2 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.7 percent.

Macon ended June with 104,000 jobs. That’s a decrease of 100 jobs over the month but an increase of 800 jobs when compared to the same time a year ago.

The labor force increased in June by 231. The total was 104,095. That number has gone down by 904 when compared to the same time last June.

Macon ended June with 99,674 employed residents.  That number went down by 231 over the month and decreased by 440 when compared to the same time a year ago.

The number of unemployment claims went down by about 3 percent in June. When compared to last June, claims remain unchanged.

The five-county MSA includes the counties of Bibb, Jones, Crawford, Monroe, Twiggs.