Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Albany posted a mixed March as several critical job measures trended in the right direction again, but others slipped.
 
Albany ranked 12th among Georgia’s 14 metropolitan statistical areas with a 4.7 percent unemployment rate, down .4 percent from last month. The rate was 5.5 percent a year ago.
 
Butler noted the monthly numbers for jobs, employed residents, and labor force all decreased in March. At the same time, the unemployment rate dropped.
 
“So many of our local communities are trending in the right direction in terms of job creation and hiring,” Butler said. “And, we are even seeing records in many places.”
 
Albany ended March with 65,765 employed residents. The area’s employed residents fell in March by 158 but was still up by 540 over the year.
 
Jobs dropped by 200 in March to 62,900. The change over the past 12 months was a decline of 600.
 
The area reported a decline in private services.
 
The Albany labor force ended March at 69,021. That number is down 457 over the month and down 18 over the past 12 months.
 
Georgia’s 14 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) had unemployment rates that varied from a low of 3.3 percent in Gainesville to Dalton ’s 5.3 percent. All 14 trended lower in March.
 
Initial claims for unemployment were up about 52 percent for the month and up about 2 percent for the year.
 
The five-county MSA includes Baker, Dougherty, Lee, Terrell and Worth counties.