Georgia Mountains region post strong month

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Georgia Mountains region posted a strong March with  key indicators trending in the right directions.

The unemployment rate fell, while Georgia Mountains added to its workforce and employed residents across the 12-county region. The number of new claims also fell, preliminary numbers showed.

“We are moving into the Spring with a strong jobs report,” Butler said. “The national economy is booming. Georgia is also producing strong numbers consistently across the state.”

The March unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points, coming in at 3.2 percent.  It was 3.4 percent one year ago. The rate declined across all 12 regions.

The labor force grew in March by 186 to reach 349,914 total members. The number has climbed by 2,280 over the past 12 months, or an average gain of nearly 190 per month.

The Georgia Mountains region gained 876 employed residents in March, pushing its total to 338,672. That number has grown by 2,983 over the past year, or an average monthly gain of about 250.

Initial claims for unemployment dropped by 19 percent in March. They are up by about 22 percent when compared to last March.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 2,191 active job postings in the Georgia Mountains region for March.

For additional information regarding career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other GDOL services visit dol.georgia.gov.