Hall County's unemployment rate continued to drop in May, falling below 8 percent for the first time since December 2008.

The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in metro Gainesville area decreased to 7.9 percent in May, down one-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 8.0 percent in April, the state Labor Department reported today. The jobless rate in metro Gainesville in May a year ago was 8.7 percent.

Metro Gainesville was the only area of the state where the rate declined from April to May. The rate declined because 500 jobs were added, mostly in service-related industries, and there were fewer layoffs in construction, manufacturing, and administrative and support services.

The lowest area rate, at 7.2 percent, was recorded in metro Athens, while the highest, at 12 percent, was in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region in the Dublin area.
Unemployment in the Georgia Mountains area increased to 8.5 percent in May, up one-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 8.4 percent in April.

Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.8 percent from April to May. The April rate was first reported at a preliminary 9.9 percent, but was revised. The state's jobless rate was 10 percent in May a year ago.

May marked the 46th consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.1 percent, up from 9.0 percent in April.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.