The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate in March was 4.5 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 4.8 percent in February. In March 2016, the rate was also 4.8 percent.

The rate declined because more people became employed as the labor force continued to grow, and employers continued to add jobs. 

The number of employed residents increased by 705 to 94,402, as the labor force grew by 454 to 98,890. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs.

The number of jobs increased by 500, or 0.5 percent, to 95,500. Most of the job growth came in services, including leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and trade, transportation and warehousing.

Over the year, 2,600 jobs were added, a 2.8 percent growth rate, up from 92,900 in March 2016. Most of the job growth came in state government and the service industries such as trade, transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality. The goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction, added 200 jobs.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, rose by 32, or 10.5 percent, to 337. Most of the increase came in manufacturing and retail trade. Over the year, claims were down by 45, or 11.8 percent, from 382 in March 2016.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.1 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.1 percent, down from 5.3 percent in February. It was 5.5 percent in March 2016.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use GDOL’s online job listing service employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees. In March, 1,617 new job openings in Athens were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 85,055 new job openings were posted.