The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that the unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia region in April was 5.5 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 5.6 percent in March. In April 2016, the rate was 5.9 percent.

The rate dropped as the labor force declined, there were fewer employed and unemployed residents, and employers reduced the number of new layoffs.

There were 278 fewer Southwest Georgia area residents employed in April than in March, lowering the total number to 140,289. There were, however, 2,889 more people employed in April than in April 2016.

The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed and actively looking for jobs, declined by 437 to 148,489. That total represents an increase of 2,462 over the past 12 months.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 330, or 32 percent, to 700. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing. Over the year, claims were down by 384, or 35.4 percent, from 1,084 in April 2016.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 3.9 percent, while the Heart of Georgia and River Valley regions had the highest at 5.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for April was 5 percent, down from 5.1 percent in March. It was 5.4 percent in April 2016.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use GDOL’s online job listing service employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees. In April, 1,396 new job openings in the Southwest Georgia region were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 75,183 new job openings were posted.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at dol.georgia.gov

Visit dol.georgia.gov to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers and to connect with us on social media.