Unemployment Jumps in June in Stephens Co., Region

Stephens County sees its unemployment rate jump in June.

According to figures released from the Georgia Department of Labor, Stephens County had a preliminary unemployment rate of 6.0 percent in June.

That is up eight-tenths of a percentage point from the revised May rate of 5.2 percent.

This June’s unemployment rate is six-tenths of a percentage point lower than last June’s rate.

These trends in Stephens County mirror the whole Georgia Mountains region, which saw its unemployment rate jump nine-tenths of a percentage point to 4.9 percent, even though the regional unemployment rate is half a percentage point lower than last June.

Georgia Department of Labor Spokesperson Sam Hall said the increases in unemployment can be traced back to one main factor.

“The reason the rate went up in the Georgia Mountains region is because 4,418 people entered the labor force, new job seekers looking for work,” said Hall. “Many of those are going to be students, recent graduates, looking for full-time jobs or others who are looking for part-time jobs for the summer.”

Stephens County has also seen an increase in the labor force.

It increased from 10,908 in May to 11,001 in June. Only 10,834 were in the county’s labor force in June 2015.

Meanwhile, 10,338 people were employed in Stephens County in June. That is close to May’s figure of 10,342 and higher than last June’s figure of 10,118.

Looking at other area counties, Habersham County saw its preliminary unemployment rate jump nine-tenths of a percentage point in June to 5.4 percent; Franklin County’s preliminary unemployment rate went up a full percentage point in June to 5.5 percent; and Banks County had a June preliminary unemployment rate of 5.2 percent, which marked an eight-tenths of a percentage point jump.