Pierce County’s estimated unemployment rate rose sharply in June, for the second straight month.
The local unemployment rate for June was 4 percent, up six tenths from May and up 1.4 percent since April.
According to Department of Labor statistics, Pierce County has a labor force of 8,614 with 8,268 employed. The number of those listed as unemployed was 346, up 57 from last month. Pierce County’s labor. The rate was 3.4 percent in June, 2023.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said unemployment was up across the state as seasonal and student workers entered the job market for the summer.
“Georgia is where opportunities abound, and innovation thrives,” said Thompson. “Every summer, our students and seasonal workers inject our workforce with a fresh wave of talent and energy. Although this may lead to a temporary rise in unemployment, their contributions are the driving force behind our businesses’ success and the engine propelling our economy forward. From startups to major corporations, Georgia’s on the right track toward creating more jobs and building a stronger, more prosperous future for all hardworking Georgians.”
Despite the increase in unemployment, the numbers continue to be near record low levels for Pierce County and across the state.
The county recorded an 8.4 percent unemployment rate in April 2020 at the peak of the shelter in place order caused by the COVID 19 virus and before businesses reopened in 2020. Georgia hit a peak of over 9 % in unemployment in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
Georgia’s unemployment rate for June ticked up a tenth to 3.3 percent compared to May. The nationwide rate was also up a tenth to 4.1 percent, compared to May.
In the Southern Georgia region, the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, up six tenths of a point compared to May. The rate was at 3.7 percent for May of 2023.
In addition to Pierce, the 18-county South Georgia region includes Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift, Turner and Ware.
