Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Albany had mixed job numbers for April, reflecting similar numbers the state has seen for the month.
 
In Albany, the April unemployment rate and initial unemployment claims fell while the number jobs grew. On the other hand, the labor force and number of employed declined for the month.
 
“Even though we did see some fluctuations in the employment and workforce numbers across the state, job growth continues to be very strong,” Butler said.
 
Albany added 200 jobs for the month, pushing its total to 63,100. This puts Albany up 400 jobs for the year.
 
The number of employed fell in April. Albany lost 197 employed residents. At 65,476 total employed residents, Albany is up by 1,339 for the year.
 
The April unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent, down 0.4 percent from the previous month and down from 5.4 percent one year ago.
 
The labor force also fell in April. It dropped by 511 to 68,423 in April but remained up by 635 for the year. Only one MSA, Brunswick, added to its work force during the month.
 
Initial claims for unemployment fell by 10 percent for the month but are up by 22 percent from last year. Six of the 14 MSAs saw claims rise in April.
 
The five-county MSA includes Baker, Dougherty, Lee, Terrell and Worth counties.