The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the one-county Gainesville Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 2.8% in May, up four-tenths over the month. A year ago, the rate was 2.9%.

“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 Gainesville decreased by 123 and ended the month at 108,732. That number declined by 407 from May 2024.

Gainesville finished the month with 105,739 employed residents. That number decreased by 479 from the previous month and by 270 from the same time a year ago.

Gainesville ended May with 108,600 jobs. That number increased by 300 from the previous month and by 400 from the same time last year.

In May, initial unemployment claims decreased by 47 from the previous month and rose by 1 from the same month a year ago, totaling 299.