The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate for May was 4.6 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 4.8 percent in April. The rate in May 2015 was 5.8 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and more people became employed.

The number of jobs increased by 16,800, or 0.6 percent, to 2,661,800 in May. Most of the increase came in leisure and hospitality, 5,600; professional and business services, 4,100; trade, transportation and warehousing, 4,100; financial activities, 2,300; education and health services, 1,700; and construction, 1,400.

Over the year, Atlanta gained 76,600 jobs, a 3 percent growth rate, up from 2,585,200 in May 2015. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, 20,300; professional and business services, 16,800; leisure and hospitality, 15,700; education and health services, 9,300; and construction, 7,700. 

Atlanta’s labor force, which consists of people employed and those who are unemployed and actively looking for work, increased by 13,147 to 2,889,707. The number of employed people increased by 18,979, while the number of unemployed workers dropped by 5,832.      

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 1,574, or 12.5 percent, to 14,154 in May. Most of the increase came in administrative and support services, manufacturing, professional and technical services, construction, educational services, health care and social assistance,  and accommodations and food services. And, over the year, claims were up by 401, or 2.9 percent, from 13,753 in May 2015.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 3.8 percent, while the Heart of Georgia/Altamaha region had the highest at 6.1 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for May was 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in April. It was 5.9 percent in May 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In May, 43,617 new jobs in Atlanta were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 63,508 new jobs were posted.