Unemployment rate fell in April

The unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia region in April was 4.6 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 4.9 percent in March. In April 2016, the rate was 5 percent.

The rate declined as more people became employed and employers reduced the number of new layoffs. Also, there was a decline in the labor force.

There were 462 more Northwest Georgia area residents employed in April than in March, pushing the total number to 393,826. There were 10,533 more people employed in April than in April 2016.

Although there were more employed residents, the labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed and actively looking for jobs, declined by 447 to 412,991. That total represents an increase of 9,420 over the past 12 months.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 1,582, or 43.1 percent, to 2,087. The decrease came in manufacturing. Over the year, claims were down by 699, or 25.1 percent, from 2,786 in April 2016.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 3.9 percent, while the Heart of Georgia and River Valley regions had the highest at 5.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for April was 5 percent, down from 5.1 percent in March. It was 5.4 percent in April 2016.