Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent in April from 7.9 percent in March, as employers hired thousands of additional workers, the state labor department said Thursday.
The number of jobs in the metro area increased by 12,900 from March to total 2,394,100 in April. Most of the growth came in professional and business services — 5,900 jobs; trade and transportation — 3,700; leisure and hospitality — 2,700; education and health services — 2,400; and construction — 1,400.
During the past year, metro Atlanta added 48,200 jobs, driving down the jobless rate from 8.5 percent in April 2012. Again, most the growth was in professional and business services — 20,500; trade and transportation — 10,200; education and health services — 8,700; leisure and hospitality — 6,100; information services — 5,100; and construction — 3,100. But the number of government jobs declined by 5,800.
For the core metro counties, Gwinnett had the lowest jobless rate at 6.8 percent. It was followed by Cobb at 6.9 percent, DeKalb (8.2 percent), Fulton (8.3 percent) and Clayton (9.3 percent).
The city of Atlanta’s unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in April from 9.9 percent in March. It was 10.8 percent a year ago.
Metro Athens had the state’s lowest area jobless rate at 5.6 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 10.3 percent.
Last week, the labor department said Georgia’s unemployment rate fell to 8.2 percent in April from 8.4 percent in March. The rate was 9.1 percent in April 2012.
While the state and metro Atlanta still trail the national jobless rate of 7.5 percent, the gap that has existed for several years has been shrinking recently.
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