Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Atlanta set a record in May for total jobs.
 
Atlanta posted, according to preliminary numbers, monthly gains in employed residents, labor force and jobs.   Unemployment claims were also lower than they were a year earlier for the 29-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
 
“May was a good month for Georgia,” Butler said. “Many of our local communities added more individuals to their workforce – which is what we needed to see happen. And, several added jobs and even and set records. That’s a great combination.”
 
Atlanta ended May with 2.8 million jobs. That’s an increase of about 9,600 in May. Jobs climbed by 52,400 as compared to a year ago.
 
The unemployment rate rose in May, increasing by 0.3 percentage points to settle at 3.3 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.5 percent.
 
Nationally, the rate for May held steady at 3.6 percent.
 
The labor force increased in May by 27,939 to reach 3.07 million. That number is up by 4,063 from the total of May 2018.
 
Atlanta ended May with 2.97 million employed residents.  The number climbed by 17,550 in May and was up by 10,425 over May 2018’s total.
 
The numbers of unemployment claims went up in May by about 10 percent and were down by about 11 percent from the same period last year.