Athens Area Unemployment Update

Athens Area Unemployment Rate Drops Driven by a slight loss of available jobs and by more unemployed workers finding work, the unemployment rate for the Athens area dropped in May to 3.2 percent. Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that part of the dip can be accounted for by seasonal factors. “In the Athens area, we’re going to see some changes when it comes to jobs and the labor force as school lets out for the summer,” Butler said. “However, we did see an increase in the number of individuals actually employed.” The May unemployment rate fell to 3.2 percent, the second lowest rate among Georgia’s 14 metropolitan statistical areas. This is down 0.2 percent from the previous month and down from 4.2 percent one year ago. Athens lost 100 jobs during May, but gained 2,700 jobs for since last year. The labor force was down 103 for the month to 103,730 but remains up by 3,026 for the year. The Athens Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Clarke, Madison, Oconee, and Oglethorpe Counties.