The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Metro Albany’s unemployment rate in February was 6.1 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 6.5 percent in January. In February 2016, the rate was 6.4 percent.

The rate declined as employers laid off fewer workers. The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 472, or 41.3 percent, to 670. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, construction, educational services and accommodations and food services. Over the year, claims were up by 133, or 24.8 percent, from 537 in February 2016.

The number of jobs decreased by 300, or 0.5 percent, to 62,400. The job losses came in the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction, along with trade, transportation and warehousing and local government.  

However, over the year, 1,200 jobs were added, a 2 percent growth rate, up from 61,200 in February 2016. Job growth came in the service industries, including retail trade.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.1 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for February was 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in January. It was also 5.5 percent in February 2016.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In February, 609 new job openings in Albany were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 65,461 new job openings were posted.

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