State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that metro Atlanta set a new record for job growth in November, as employment and labor force numbers grew and unemployment insurance claims declined.

“This is a great jobs report,” Butler said. “All the significant numbers are trending in the right direction. In fact, records are being set. This is further proof of our growing, dynamic economy. Metro Atlanta continues to be a leader nationally.”

Metro Atlanta posted a record-high 2,785,100 jobs in November, up by 13,100 since October.  Most of the job growth came in trade, transportation and warehousing, 10,900; local government, 2,000; and construction and information services, 1,400. Professional and business services lost 2,600 jobs.      

Since November 2016, metro Atlanta has gained 56,000 jobs, a 2.1 percent growth rate. The growth rate outpaced the state’s job growth rate of 1.9 percent and the nation’s 1.4 percent rate.  

Over-the-year job growth came in professional and business services, 16,900; education and health services, 10,100; government, 7,400; and trade, transportation and warehousing, 6,000. Manufacturing lost 2,300 jobs.   

The number of employed residents rose by 1,378 to 2,919,300. From November a year ago, the number of employed residents was up by 88,584.  

The area’s labor force, which includes the total number of residents with jobs and those unemployed but looking for work, rose by 2,330 in November. The labor force, at 3,046,313, is up by 71,774 since November 2016.

“We did see a significant increase in employment, which is the most important number to me right now,” Butler said. “Labor force is also increasing, which is important because you need people to fill those jobs.”

Unemployment claims were down by 5.3 percent to 10,868. Claims were down in trade, transportation and warehousing, along with manufacturing. When compared to last November, claims were down by 8.3 percent from 11,855.

The November unemployment rate, at 4.2 percent, was up from 4.1 percent in October. The November rate compares favorably to last November when the rate was 4.8 percent.