Unemployment Rate in Athens Drops

The Georgia Department of Labor announced this week that metro Athens’ unemployment rate declined to 5.6 percent in April, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 5.9 percent in March. The rate was 6.4 percent in April a year ago.

The rate declined as the number of jobs in metro Athens increased by 500 to 88,800, up from 88,300 in March. Most of the growth came in trade and transportation and leisure and hospitality.

Over-the-year, metro Athens added 1,500 jobs, or 1.7 percent, from 87,300 in April 2012. Most of the growth was in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, state government, and trade and transportation.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.6 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 10.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 8.2 percent, down from 8.4 percent in March. The rate was 9.1 percent in April a year ago.

Clarke County's unemployment rate in April was 5.9 percent, down from 6.2 percent in March.  Out of the county's labor force of 68,615, 4,036 were jobless.

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