The labor market doesn't look very promising for those seeking jobs in Georgia.

According to the Georgia LaborMarket Explorer, the state's payroll has decreased by 21,900 jobs from last year, and from May to June Georgia saw a .5 percent employment decrease. Over the year the state has added 7,100 employees, a a growth rate of only .2 percent.

The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics notes Georgia employed a total of 4,132,600 in July 2008, a decrease of .3 percent from last year, and the state had an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent, higher than the national unemployment rate of 5.7 percent.

In June, the goods producing sector alone lost 9,400 jobs, with construction and manufacturing cutting positions and natural resources and mining staying consistent. The service providing sector lost 12,500 workers with many industries losing jobs, including government, retail trade and education and health services. The leisure and hospitality, professional and business services and other services industries added workers in June.

The government industry saw the largest decrease, losing 11,300 jobs with state and local schools closing for the summer. This is the third month in a row the government industry has lost jobs, equaling a decrease of 14,000 workers.

The educational services industry lost 1,800 jobs, while the healthcare and social assistance industry dropped 3,500 positions. The manufacturing industry lost 5,300 workers, making June the fourth consecutive month the industry has seen a decrease in employment, totaling a loss of 9,700 workers.

The leisure and hospitality industry added 2,000 jobs in June and has added 3,500 employees since June 2007. The professional and business services industry added 1,100 workers, making a total addition of 4,000 jobs since last year. This stops a two-month decrease in jobs for the industry, which lost a total of 2,000 employees. The transportation, warehousing and utilities industry added 800 jobs and the other services industry added 400 jobs.

Labels: Georgia jobs