Every employment sector except one — government — showed growth in metro Atlanta over the past year, according to new jobs data.
Georgia’s unemployment rate fell to 7.3 percent in January, the seventh consecutive monthly decline, from 7.4 percent the prior month and 8.6 percent a year earlier.
Overall, 4.03 million Georgians had jobs in January, a gain of 80,800 jobs, or 2 percent, from January 2013.
Metro Atlanta employment increased to 2.41 million in January, up 58,600 jobs, or 2.5 percent, from a year earlier.
CONSTRUCTION COMEBACK
Construction employment grew significantly in both metro Atlanta and Georgia. In the metro area, there were 6,800 more jobs, a 7.9 percent jump. Statewide, the sector added 6,900 jobs, a 5.0 percent gain.
The professional and business services category posted a 3.0 percent gain in jobs in metro Atlanta for the January-to-January period, with the biggest increase, 13.4 percent, coming in accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping services positions.
The leisure and hospitality category reported strong gains, growing by more than 20,000 jobs in Georgia, a 5.3 percent increase for the year period, and by more than 13,000 jobs in metro Atlanta, a 5.8 percent gain.
GOVERNMENT SLOWDOWN
Government jobs declined at all levels in Georgia, for a total decrease of 1.4 percent. Federal jobs fell 2.7 percent, state jobs declined 1.3 percent, and local government positions were down 1.1 percent.
The belt-tightening wasn’t as pronounced in metro Atlanta, where government jobs decreased 0.5 percent. Federal jobs declined 0.2 percent and local positions were down 0.9 percent.
However, state government jobs in metro Atlanta increased 0.6 percent.
RETAIL REDUCTIONS
When the shoppers go away in the New Year, so do the jobs. It’s a standard refrain.
As expected, employment decreased in January from December 2013, as many part-time retail gigs evaporated with the end of the holiday season.
Yet, even in the bad numbers there was good news: The loss was far smaller than usual. Statewide, 56,200 jobs were lost this time, instead of the five-year average loss of 76,300 jobs.
ON THE GROUND
At the Georgia Department of Labor North Metro Career Center in Atlanta on Thursday, Angie Peyton and Paul Stevens were interviewing job candidates hoping to land warehouse work at a local food distribution center they represented. The positions were only temporary, at least to start, and paid $9 to $10 an hour.
But Peyton and Stevens, who work for Metro Industrial, a job placement firm based out of Tennessee, interviewed eight applicants and expect to return. When they ran an online advertisement recently to announce the openings, they were overwhelmed with responses.
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