The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Augusta’s unemployment rate for April was 6.1 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 6.4 percent in March. This is the lowest the rate has been since May 2008 when it was 5.6 percent. The rate in April 2014 was 6.7 percent.

The rate declined as employers added jobs, primarily because of activities surrounding the Master Golf Tournament. The number of jobs in Augusta increased by 4,100, or 1.8 percent, in April to 234,000, up from 229,900 in March. Most of the job gains came in leisure and hospitality, education and health services, retail trade, professional and business services, along with mining, logging and construction. 

And, there was an over-the-year gain of 6,800 jobs, or 3.0 percent, from 227,200 in April 2014. Most of the job growth came in education and health services, leisure and hospitality,  trade, transportation and warehousing, along with the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing, construction, mining and logging.  

And, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 99, or 9.9 percent, to 1,094 in April, up from 995 in March. Most of the increase came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, accommodations and food services and health care and social assistance.  However, over the year, claims were down by 472, or 30.1 percent, from 1,566 filed in April 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha and the River Valley regions had the highest at 7.3 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for April was 6.3 percent, unchanged from March. It was 7.3 percent in April 2014.