Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Savannah posted a mixed month in April even as the state saw generally down numbers for several cities.
 
In Savannah, the April unemployment rate fell and jobs continued to climb. Those positive trends were somewhat offset by drops in labor force and employed residents. Unemployment claims also declined.
 
“Even though we did see some fluctuations in the employment and workforce numbers across the state, job growth continues to be very strong,” Butler said.
 
Savannah added 600 jobs in April, pushing its total to 179,600. That was an increase of 1,000 over last April. Just three metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) grew by 1,000 jobs or more in April.
 
The unemployment rate dropped by 0.4 percent to 3.4 percent. It was 4.2 percent last April. Savannah ranked tied for second among Georgia’s 14 MSAs.
 
Savannah did not escape April without posting any negative numbers.
 
The number of employed dropped by 244 in April. That change ranked 10th among 14 MSAs. At 181,626 total employed residents, Savannah was up by 3,872 for the year.
 
Only one MSA, Brunswick, added to its work force during the month. The labor force in Savannah fell by 1,065 to 187,989 in April. It was up by nearly 2,435 over the same period a year ago.
 
Initial claims for unemployment also fell by only one percent for the month and by nearly seven percent from last year. Six of the 14 MSAs saw claims rise in April.
 
The metropolitan statistical area includes Bryan, Chatham, and Effingham counties.