Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Savannah added to its labor force in February.

At the same time, Savannah increased annual jobs and decreased annual claims in the three-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).     

“We’ve started strong in 2019,” Butler said. “Communities across the state added jobs, workers and improved employment. That is very good to see.” 

The unemployment rate climbed 0.8 percent in January but fell by 0.4 percent in February, coming in at 3.7 percent.  A year ago, the rate was 4.0 percent.

The labor force in Savannah went down by 716 in January but went up by 747 in February to reach 188,687. That number is down by 1,398 over the past year – an average monthly decrease of about 115. 

Savannah lost 2,040 employed residents in January but gained 1,558 in February, bringing the total to 181,704. The number is down by 858 for the year, or about 70 per month.

Jobs were down by 2,900 in January but went up by 1,300 in February, bringing the total to 184,500. The job total in Savannah is up 2,700 over the year – an average monthly increase of 225.

Claims for unemployment insurance were up by 39 percent in January but went down by 44 percent in February. They were down by 3 percent when compared to the same month a year ago. 

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 3,042 active job postings in Savannah for February.

The MSA includes Bryan, Chatham, and Effingham counties.