ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that the unemployment rate in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region in April was 5.9 percent, unchanged from March. In April 2016, the rate was 6.3 percent.
While the rate was unchanged, more people became employed and the labor force grew.
There were 153 more residents in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha area employed in April than in March, pushing the total number to 110,243. There were 2,043 more people employed in April than in April 2016.
The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed and actively looking for jobs, grew by 129 to 117,117. That total represents an increase of 1,591 over the past 12 months.
The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, rose by 424, or 61 percent, to 1,119. Most of the increase came in manufacturing and wholesale trade. Over the year, however, claims were down by 148, or 11.7 percent, from 1,267 in April 2016.
Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 3.9 percent, while the Heart of Georgia and River Valley regions had the highest at 5.9 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for April was 5 percent, down from 5.1 percent in March. It was 5.4 percent in April 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 April, 819 new job openings in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 75,183 new job openings were posted.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov
Visit dol.georgia.gov to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers and to connect with us on social media.
On Air Now
Weekdays 3 -7 PM
Weeknights 7 - midnight
Midnight - 6 AM
Weekdays 6 - 10 AM
