The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate for March was 5.2 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 5.3 percent in February. The rate in March 2015 was 5.7 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers. 

The number of jobs increased by 11,300, or 0.4 percent, to 2,622,500 from 2,611,200 in February. Most of the increase came in leisure and hospitality, 4,100; education and health services, 3,600; government, 1,200; manufacturing, 800; professional and business services and construction, 500 each; trade, and transportation and warehousing, 400. With a loss of 300 jobs, information services was the only major employment sector to lose jobs. 

Over the year, Atlanta gained 77,000 jobs, a 3 percent growth rate, up from 2,545,500 in March 2015. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, 18,300; leisure and hospitality, 14,100; professional and business services, 14,000; education and health services, 11,000; construction, 8,500; manufacturing, 5,000; and government, 4,000. Information services lost 1,500 jobs. 

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 718, or 5.2 percent, to 13,035 in March. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing and construction. And, over the year, claims were down by 1,232, or 8.6 percent, from 14,267 in March 2015. 

Also, Atlanta’s labor force increased by 13,480 to 2,882,551. 

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.5 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.9 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.5 percent, up from 5.4 percent in February. It was 6.2 percent in March 2015. 

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said job seekers and employers should use the GDOL’s online job listing service, Employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees. In March, 51,990 jobs in Atlanta were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 78,986 jobs were posted. 

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.