Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Athens prospered even as the state saw generally down numbers in April for several cities.
 
In April, the Athens unemployment rate fell sharply, the number of employed residents continued to grow and total jobs climbed to a record-setting number.
 
At the same time, unemployment claims rose and the labor force decreased slightly.
 
“Even though we did see some fluctuations in the employment and workforce numbers across the state, job growth continues to be very strong,” Butler said.
 
Athens added 1,000 jobs in April, pushing its total to 99,500. That was an increase of 1,900 over last April. Athens was one of just three metropolitan statistical areas to grow by 1,000 jobs or more in April.
 
The number of employed continued to grow as well. Athens added 387 employed residents in April, ranking third among 14 MSAs. At 100,384 total employed residents, Athens was up by 3,121 for the year.
 
The unemployment rate dropped by .4 percent to 3.4 percent. It was 4.2 percent last April. Athens ranked tied for second among Georgia’s 14 MSAs.
 
Athens, though, didn’t escape April without some challenges.
 
The labor force dropped by 19 to 103,882 in April, remaining up by 2,397 for the year. Only one MSA, Brunswick, added to its work force during the month.
 
Initial claims for unemployment also rose by 11 percent for the month and by 16.5 percent from last year. Six of the 14 MSAs saw claims rise in April.
 
The four-county MSA includes Clarke, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties.