Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Bartow County recorded an unemployment rate of 2.5 percent in May, up three-tenths of a percent over the month. A year ago, the rate was 3.6 percent.

“Even though the labor force increased in all of our regions, counties, and metropolitan service areas, job postings continue to outpace those gains placing strain on employers to find talent for open positions,” said Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.  “Many areas across our state are experiencing difficulty in filling many of the seasonal, temporary jobs normally filled with summer workers, due to the opportunities in full-time employment.”

The labor force increased in May by 88 to 52,563. That number is up 1,700 over the year.

Bartow County ended May with 51,246 employed residents. The number of employed was down 91 over the month and up 2,191 over the year.

Initial claims for unemployment went down by 11 percent in May. When compared to last May, claims were down about 87 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 823 active job postings in Bartow County for May.

Visit dol.georgia.gov to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia, and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers

From WBHF radio.