The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate in May was 4.4 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from 4.3 percent in April. In May 2016, the rate was 4.7 percent.

The rate rose as the labor force grew and there was an increase in layoffs as measured by initial claims for unemployment insurance.

The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed and actively looking for jobs, increased by 644 to 184,511. As the number of employed residents rose by 517 to 176,424, the number of unemployed also increased by 127 to 8,087.

Compared to May a year ago, the labor force had a net increase of 3,869. The number of employed grew by 4,287, and there were 418 fewer unemployed.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 164, or 29.5 percent, to 720. Most of the increase came in manufacturing and construction, administrative and support services, accommodations and food services, along with health care and social assistance and educational services. Over the year, claims were down by 61, or 7.8 percent, from 781 in May 2016.

The number of jobs in Metro Savannah increased by 200, or 0.1 percent, to 179,700. The job growth came in professional and business services.

Over-the-year, a total of 3,400 jobs were added, a 1.9 percent growth rate, up from 176,300 in May 2016. Job growth came in professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, wholesale and retail trade and government, along with mining, logging and construction.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 3.9 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for May was 4.9 percent, down from 5 percent in April. It was 5.3 percent in May 2016.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use GDOL’s online job listing service employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees. In May, 2,701 new job openings in Savannah were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 70,120 new job openings were posted.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov