The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate for March was 5.9 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 6.1 percent in February. The rate in March 2014 was 7.0 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs. The number of jobs in Atlanta increased by 1,900, or 0.1 percent, in March to 2,542,200 from 2,540,300 in February. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, 2,300; leisure and hospitality, 2,200; and professional and business services, 1,700. Most of the losses were recorded in construction, 1,900, and manufacturing, 1,200.   

There was an over-the-year gain of 80,500 jobs, or 3.3 percent, from 2,461,700 in March 2014. Most of the job growth came in trade, transportation and warehousing, 21,500; professional and business services, 15,100; education and health services, 12,200; financial activities, 5,400; government, 4,400; construction, 3,900; and manufacturing, 2,100. 

However, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 233, or 1.7 percent, to 14,267 in March, which is up from 14,034 in February. Most of the increase came in a variety of industries, including professional and technical services, educational services, information services, wholesale trade, finance and insurance, and health care and social assistance. Over the year, claims were up by 227, or 1.6 percent, from 14,040 filed in March 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.9 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 7.8 percent. 

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

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov Connect with us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @GeorgiaDOL, which can be easily accessed via our website at www.gdol.ga.gov.