The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate for April was 4.7 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 5.1 percent in March. The rate in April 2015 was 5.4 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers. 

The number of jobs increased by 1,300, or 0.7 percent, to 177,400 in April.  Most of the increase came in leisure and hospitality, education and health services, professional and business services, information and other services, along with retail trade and local government. 

Over the year, Savannah gained 6,800 jobs, a 4 percent growth rate, up from 170,600 in April 2015. Most of the job gains came in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, state and local government, education and health services, along with manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing. 

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 51, or 6.8 percent, to 704 in April. Most of the decrease came in retail trade, accommodations and food services. And, over the year, claims were down by 13, or 1.8 percent, from 717 in April 2015. 

Also, Savannah’s labor force decreased by 575 to 179,522.      

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.2 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.4 percent.  

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for April was 5.5 percent, unchanged from March. It was 6.1 percent in April 2015. 

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said job seekers and employers should use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In April, 3,084 jobs in Savannah were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 71,092 jobs were posted. 

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.