The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the four-county Albany Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded month-over-month job and employment growth, with an unemployment rate of 3.5%, down five-tenths of a percentage point over the month. A year ago, the rate was 3.6%.

“Georgia has always been a state that rewards hard work, and right now, hard work is paying off in a big way,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “Every single metro area in this state added jobs in April, more Georgians are earning mortgage-paying paychecks, and our workforce is more skilled and competitive than ever. That is what it looks like when Georgia, a Top State for Talent, goes to work.”

Albany’s labor force decreased by 150 over the month and 962 over the year, to 60,870.

Albany finished the month with 58,754 employed residents, up 188 over the month and down 866 over the year.

Albany ended April with 59,500 jobs, an increase of 100 over the month and a decrease of 1,800 from a year ago.

In April, initial unemployment claims decreased by 1 from the previous month and declined by 59 compared to the same month a year ago, totaling 234.