The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Metro Augusta’s unemployment rate in March was 4.8 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 5.2 percent in February. In March 2016, the rate was 5.5 percent.

The rate declined because more people became employed as the labor force continued to grow, and employers continued to add jobs and lay off fewer workers.

The number of employed residents increased by 1,108 to 252,650, as the labor force grew by 53 to 265,528. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs.

The number of jobs increased by 600, or 0.3 percent, to 236,000. The job growth came in trade, transportation and warehousing, education and health services and the goods producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.  

Over the year, 3,900 jobs were added, a 1.7 percent growth rate, up from 232,100 in March 2016. Most of the job growth came in services such as education and health services, trade, transportation and warehousing, leisure and hospitality, and government, along with the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 230, or 19.2 percent, to 965. Most of the decrease came in wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, administrative and support services, and construction and manufacturing. Over the year, claims were down by 95, or 9 percent, from 1,060 in March 2016.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.1 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.1 percent, down from 5.3 percent in February. It was 5.5 percent in March 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 March, 3,999 new job openings in Augusta were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 85,055 new job openings were posted.