The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the two-county Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 3.2% in May, unchanged from the previous month. A year ago, the rate was 3.5%.
"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 — except Dalton, which remained steady at 3.2% — 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 Dalton decreased by 3 and ended the month at 66,781. That number decreased by 404 compared to May 2024.
Dalton finished the month with 64,611 employed residents, a decline of 46 from the previous month and 191 from the same time a year ago.
Dalton ended May with 69,200 jobs. That number increased by 500 from the previous month and rose by 300 from the same time last year.
In May, initial unemployment claims decreased by 164 over the month and decreased by 54 compared to the same month a year ago, totaling 315.