by Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Georgia’s unemployment rate fell slightly in April to 3.5%, seven-tenths below the national jobless rate, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.
“After holding steady at 3.6% for nearly a year – and recent job growth – we’re proving once again that Georgia’s business-friendly environment and competitive workforce deliver results,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Barbara Rivera Holmes said.
The number of jobs in Georgia increased by 4,900 in May to an all-time high of 4.99 million. The job sectors with the most gains included health care and social assistance, which gained 4,000 jobs; administration and support services, which posted an increase of 2,400 jobs; and accommodation and food services, which grew by 1,900 jobs.
Wholesale trade jobs declined over the month by 1,600 jobs, while the ranks of construction workers decreased by 1,400 jobs.
The state’s labor force fell by 4,111 last month to nearly 5.4 million, as did the number of employed Georgians, which dropped by 1,386 to almost 5.2 million.
On the positive side, unemployment declined by 2,725 to 189,026. The number of first-time jobless claims also was down by 1,901 in May to 19,135.
