Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the unemployment rate dipped down in Albany for the month of July.
 
According to preliminary data, Albany also saw its number of annual jobs and monthly employed residents grow across the five-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
 
“July was another solid month for Georgia,” Butler said. “The state numbers were strong and many of our local communities added to their labor force, which was badly needed. Many areas of the state also increased the number of employed residents. Georgia continues to head in the right direction.”
 
Nationally, the unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 3.7 percent. Georgia’s rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to settle at 3.6 percent.  A year ago, Georgia’s unemployment rate sat at 3.8 percent.
 
Rates fell across 12 of Georgia’s 14 MSAs.
 
In Albany, the unemployment rate decreased 0.3 percentage points in July, reaching 4.4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 5.3 percent.
 
Albany ended July with 62,300 jobs. That number fell by 300 over the month but increased by 800 jobs when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The labor force decreased in July by 154. Albany ended the month with 66,124. That number shrunk by 832 when compared to July of 2018.
 
Albany finished the month with 63,202 employed residents.  That number increased by 33 over the month but decreased by 215 when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The number of unemployment claims went up by about 49 percent in July. When compared to last July, claims were down by about 5 percent.