The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate for March was 4.9 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 5.1 percent in February. The rate in March 2015 was 5.3 percent.

The rate declined as employers created 200 more jobs, pushing the total to 93,700, up by 0.2 percent, from 93,500 in February.  Most of the increase came in professional and business services and leisure and hospitality. 

Over the year, Athens gained 4,000 jobs, a 4.5 percent growth rate, up from 89,700 in March 2015. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, state government, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. 

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by eight, or 2.1 percent, to 382 in March. Most of the increase came in retail trade. However, over the year, claims were down by 35, or 8.4 percent, from 417 in March 2015. 

Also, Athens’ labor force increased by 744 to 96,146.      

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.5 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.9 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.5 percent, up from 5.4 percent in February. It was 6.2 percent in March 2015. 

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said job seekers and employers should use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In March, 1,330 jobs in Athens were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 78,986 jobs were posted. 

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.