Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent in April from 5.9 percent in March, the state labor department said Thursday. This was the lowest level since May 2008.
Here’s what happened:
— The number of jobs increased by 21,000 in April to total 2,566,300.
— All job sectors grew from March to April. Leisure and hospitality added 7,400 jobs; professional and business services — 4,800; construction — 2,200; financial activities — 2,000; trade, transportation and warehousing — 1,300; manufacturing — 1,200; government — 1,000; and education and health services — 800.
— During the past year, metro Atlanta added 83,200 jobs. That brought the unemployment rate down from 6.4 percent in April 2014.
— The number of layoffs — first-time claims for unemployment benefits — declined 0.4 percent from March to April and 8.6 percent over the past year.
— For the core metro Atlanta counties, Cobb had the lowest unemployment rate at 5.0 percent. Gwinnett was next with 5.1 percent, followed by Fulton (5.9 percent), DeKalb (6.0 percent) and Clayton (7.6 percent).
