Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent in July from 8.8 percent in June as private employers added to their payrolls, the labor department said Thursday.
A total of 15,945 more workers were hired in July, with several key sectors providing the bulk of the gains. Employers in construction added 3,200 jobs in July; trade and transportation — 2,700; education and health services — 1,400; leisure and hospitality — 1,200; information services — 700; manufacturing — 600; and financial services — 300.
Meanwhile, the government shed 10,800 jobs in July.
During the past year, metro Atlanta gained 72,000 jobs as the unemployment rate fell from 9.3 percent in July 2012.
Again, the private sector posted the increases. Employers in professional and business services added 22,700 jobs; trade and transportation — 13,600; education and health services — 13,200; leisure and hospitality — 11,500; construction — 7,100; information services — 4,700; and financial services — 2,700.
At the same time, government cut 1,700 jobs.
Metro Atlanta’s labor force — the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work — rose by 11,643 from June to July to reach to 2,779,160.
For metro Atlanta’s core counties, Gwinnett posted the lowest jobless rate at 7.6 percent. Cobb was next with 7.7 percent, followed by DeKalb (8.9 percent), Fulton (9.3 percent) and Clayton (10.6 percent).
Metro Athens had the state’s lowest area jobless rate at 6.9 percent, while metro Dalton and the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region tied for the highest at 12.3 percent.
Last week, the labor department reported that Georgia’s unemployment rate was 8.8 percent in July. Both Georgia and metro Atlanta continue to significantly trail the national rate, currently 7.4 percent.
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