Columbus metro area unemployment rate drops to 6 percent in April
The great news for the Columbus metro area unemployment rate was its drop from 6.6 percent in March to 6 percent in April. That compares to 6.6 percent in April a year ago.
The major caveat is that the local rate remains the highest in Georgia, tied with Albany at 6 percent, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.
The lowest metro area figure is 4.2 percent in the northeast Georgia community of Gainesville, with Athens, Atlanta, Savannah and Valdosta all seeing jobless rates less than 5 percent.
Key data released Thursday show the Columbus area adding 600 jobs from March to April, giving it a total of 122,200. The sectors contributing to that job surge were leisure and hospitality, retail, and professional and business services. Year over year, again the local area has added 600 positions, with it having 121,600 jobs in April 2015.
First-time claims for unemployment assistance were up as well, with 76 more in April than in March and a total of 871 area residents seeking benefits after being laid off. Manufacturing contributed to most of that increase. Year over year, there are 190 more first-time claims than last April when there were 681 people seeking help after losing their jobs.
Overall, the Columbus labor force now stands at 123,971, which is 807 fewer than last month. “Labor force” is the number of people employed, but also includes those without a job but actively seeking work. The local metro area includes Muscogee, Harris, Chattahoochee and Marion counties in Georgia and Russell County in Alabama.
The labor department last week reported an April unemployment rate of 5.5 percent for all of Georgia, which was unchanged from March and lower than 6.1 percent in April a year ago.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler urges those seeking work to visit online at www.employgeorgia.com to check out positions available statewide. There were 2,874 jobs in Columbus on the site in April, with just over 71,000 across the state.
Tony Adams: 706-571-8574, @ledgerbizz
Metro area rates
Here are the April 2016 unemployment rates for Georgia’s metro areas:
▪ Gainesville — 4.2 percent
▪ Athens — 4.6 percent
▪ Savannah — 4.7 percent
▪ Atlanta — 4.8 percent
▪ Valdosta — 4.9 percent
▪ Brunswick — 5.2 percent
▪ Hinesville — 5.3 percent
▪ Warner Robins — 5.3 percent
▪ Macon — 5.4 percent
▪ Augusta — 5.5 percent
▪ Dalton — 5.5 percent
▪ Rome — 5.6 percent
▪ Albany — 6 percent
▪ Columbus — 6 percent
This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Columbus metro area unemployment rate drops to 6 percent in April."