The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the three-county Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 2.9% in May, up three-tenths over the month. A year ago, the rate was 3.1%.

“Georgia's strength isn't measured in single months — it's proven over time," said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. "Even with slight unemployment increases throughout Georgia's regions in May, most of our metropolitan areas are showing lower unemployment than a year ago. That resilience reflects our modern, adaptive workforce, which is what keeps Georgia the No. 1 state for business in today's competitive, global marketplace.”

The labor force in Savannah decreased by 269 from the previous month and ended the month at 207,714. That number declined by 2,857 from May 2024.

Savannah finished the month with 201,679 employed residents. That number decreased by 964 from the previous month and fell by 2,366 from the same time last year.

Savannah ended May with 207,100 jobs. Jobs increased by 400 from the previous month and fell by 1,400 from the same time last year.

In May, initial unemployment claims decreased by 67 from the previous month and decreased by 72 from the same month a year ago, totaling 491.