Community Corner

State Department of Labor: Unemployment Rate at Its Lowest Since December 2008

Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.2 percent for April, which also saw the addition of 31,200 new jobs.

It's good news for Georgia on the jobs front — the state's unemployment rate for April was the lowest since December 2008. 

The rate declined two-tenths of a percentage point from 8.4 percent in March. The rate a year ago was at 9.1 percent. 

The month of April also saw the addition of 31,200 new jobs. Most of those new jobs came in leisure and hospitality, with 10,700 jobs, professional and business services with 9,400, trade and transportation with 7,500, education and health services with 2,600 additions and construction with 1,800.

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“While a two-tenths of a percent drop in one month is good to see, the most important part of that is that we saw Georgia employers create over 31,000 jobs," Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in a news release. 

Butler also said the state is seeing its best numbers for construction jobs since 2007. 

Find out what's happening in Oconeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

While it's good news on the unemployment rate and new jobs, the number of layoffs, represented by new claims for unemployment insurance benefits, rose by 5,661, or 15.3 percent, to 42,644 in April from 36,983 in March. According to the release, the increases came mostly in manufacturing, trade and transportation, along with administrative and support services. Butler said the new claims were primarily related to seasonal factors. 

Job hunting? Check out Oconee Patch's jobs page or click here to search for jobs in the area. 


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