The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate in February was 4.7 percent, down five-tenths of a percentage point from 5.2 percent in January. In February 2016, the rate was also 5.2 percent.

The rate declined as more people went to work, employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers and the labor force grew.  

The number of employed residents increased by 2,538 to 175,836, as the labor force grew by 1,803 to 184,568. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs.

The number of jobs increased by 1,600, or 0.9 percent, to 178,700. The job growth came in state and local government, the service industries such as leisure and hospitality and education and health services, and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.  

Over the year, 5,700 jobs were added, a 3.3 percent growth rate, up from 173,000 in February 2016. Most of the job growth came in the service industries, including professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and trade, transportation and warehousing. State and local government added 1,200 jobs.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 355, or 38.7 percent, to 562. Most of the decrease came in administrative and support services, accommodations and food services, along with trade, transportation and warehousing. Over the year, claims were down by 135, or 19.4 percent, from 697 in February 2016.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.1 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for February was 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in January. It was also 5.5 percent in February 2016.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In February, 2,660 new job openings in Savannah were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 65,461 new job openings were posted.

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