Atlanta’s Jobless Rate Hits 9.3% in June

After months of steady decline, metro Atlanta’s jobless rate increased significantly last month to 9.3%, from 8.6% in May. Jeff Rosensweig, a finance professor at Emory’s Goizuetta Business School, says the unemployment rate often increases this time of year. He says that’s because so many students are looking for jobs—and it’s hard to find one.

“That jump from 8.6 to 9.3 is mostly meaningless,” he says, “Except what it means is if you have a high school kid that’s hanging around home because they say they can’t find a job, it may not mean that they’re lazy.”

The more important number, Rosensweig says, is the state’s jobless rate last month of 9%, which is down from almost 10% a year ago.