Georgia Labor Department reports drop in April unemployment rates

Northeast Georgia’s unemployment rate hit record lows in April, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. The unemployment rate fell to 1.8% in the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission and 2.1% in the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. But the good news wasn’t reserved just for Northeast Georgia: The Department of Labor reports all of the state’s regional commissions recorded low unemployment last month.

“As employers continue to fill their vacancies with qualified job seekers, we are encouraged to see many Georgians eager to return to the workforce,” says Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

Commissioner Butler says Georgia’s April unemployment rate was equal to the all-time low set in March 2022 of 3.1 percent. Georgia’s unemployment rate was five-tenths of a percent lower than the national April 2022 unemployment rate of 3.6 percent.

The state set a new all-time high number of employed Georgians of 5,106,584, up 20,516 in April. The labor force was at an all-time high of 5,267,469, up 16,337 over the month, and the number of unemployed was down 4,179 to 160,885, the lowest figure since June 2001.

Initial claims were down 1,659 (9%) from March to 17,423 in April. Over the year initial claims were down 115,980 (87%).

In April, all regional commissions saw a drop in the labor force. Employment was up in the Central Savannah River, Southern Georgia, and Southwest Georgia regional commissions. And the number of initial claims was down in all regional commissions.

Here are the preliminary unemployment figures for each of the state’s 12 regional commissions.

Atlanta Regional Commission – Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down eight-tenths to 2.5 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.4 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 22,248 o-t-m and up 65,455 over the year (o-t-y), to 2,511,073.
• The number of employed was down 831 o-t-m and up 109,234 o-t-y, to 2,448,117.
• Initial claims were down 461 (-5%) o-t-m and down 57,338 (-87%) o-t-y, to 8,334.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services, and down o-t-y in Administrative and Support Services and Accommodation and Food
• Services.
• There were 96,231 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Central Savannah River Regional Commission – Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, and Wilkes counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 3.0 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.3 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 1,265 o-t-m and down 3,179 over the year (o-t-y), to 209,085.
• The number of employed was up 729 o-t-m and down 201 o-t-y, to 202,836.
• Initial claims were down 13 (-1%) o-t-m and down 4,045 (-82%) o-t-y, to 884.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Health Care and Social Assistance and Construction, and down o-t-y in Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services.
• There were 6,263 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Coastal Georgia Regional Commission – Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Screven counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 2.4 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.1 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 5,167 o-t-m and up 3,326 over the year (o-t-y), to 345,169.
• The number of employed was down 2,038 o-t-m and up 8,795 o-t-y, to 336,764.
• Initial claims were down 59 (-6%) o-t-m and down 7,023 (-88%) o-t-y, to 968.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Other Services (except Public Administration) and Retail
• Trade, and down o-t-y in Accommodation and Food Services and Administrative and Support Services.
• There were 11,306 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Georgia Mountains Regional Commission – Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down eight-tenths to 1.8 percent over-the-month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 2.8 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 4,480 o-t-m and up 6,804 over the year (o-t-y), to 367,244.
• The number of employed was down 1,387 o-t-m and up 10,185 o-t-y, to 360,547.
• Initial claims were down 99 (-16%) o-t-m, and down 5,164 (-91%) o-t-y, to 537.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Manufacturing and Construction, and down o-t-y in
• Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services.
  There were 4,900 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Heart of Georgia – Altamaha Regional Commission – Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler, and Wilcox counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 2.8 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.1 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 1,783 o-t-m and down 1,823 over the year (o-t-y), to 117,562.
• The number of employed was down 619 o-t-m and down 169 o-t-y, to 114,286.
• Initial claims were down 5 (-1%) o-t-m, and down 1,643 (-77%) o-t-y, to 490.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Trade and Manufacturing, and down o-t-y in
• Accommodation and Food Services and Manufacturing.
• There were 1,234 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Middle Georgia Regional Commission – Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, and Wilkinson counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 2.6 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.3 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 2,738 o-t-m and up 241 over the year (o-t-y), to 220,440.
• The number of employed was down 644 o-t-m and up 3,887 o-t-y, to 214,648.
• Initial claims were down 78 (-10%) o-t-m and down 4,079 (-85%) o-t-y, to 734.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Trade and Transportation and Warehousing, and down o-t-y in Trade and Accommodation and Food Services.
• There were 6,146 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Northeast Georgia Regional Commission – Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 2.1 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 3.4 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 2,881 o-t-m and up 9,822 over the year (o-t-y), to 324,452.
• The number of employed was down 7 o-t-m and up 13,509 o-t-y, to 317,577.
• Initial claims were down 65 (-8%) o-t-m and down 4,886 (-86%) o-t-y, to 803.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Accommodation and Food Services and Construction, and down o-t-y in Accommodation and Food Services and Trade.
• There were 7,651 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Northwest Georgia Regional Commission – Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down eight-tenths to 2.2 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 3.4 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 4,285 o-t-m and up 5,186 over the year (o-t-y), to 429,356.
• The number of employed was down 598 o-t-m and up 10,075 o-t-y, to 419,877.
• Initial claims were down 424 (-24%) o-t-m and down 7,966 (-86%) o-t-y, to 1,363.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Manufacturing and Construction, and down o-t-y in
• Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services.
• There were 5,848 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

River Valley Regional Commission – Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Webster counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down one percentage point to 3.4 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 5.4 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 1,749 o-t-m and down 1,684 over the year (o-t-y), to 144,785.
• The number of employed was down 189 o-t-m and up 1,361 o-t-y, to 139,929.
• Initial claims were down 89 (-13%) o-t-m and down 3,452 (-85%) o-t-y, to 623.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Trade and Accommodation and Food Services, and down o-t-y in Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services.
• There were 4,273 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Southern Georgia Regional Commission – Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 2.4 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.1 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 1,649 o-t-m and down 2,093 over the year (o-t-y), to 179,962.
• The number of employed was up 21 o-t-m and up 965 o-t-y, to 175,569.
• Initial claims were down 85 (-13%) o-t-m and down 4,137 (-88%) o-t-y, to 557.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Manufacturing and Retail Trade, and down o-t-y in
• Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services.
• There were 1,307 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Southwest Georgia Regional Commission – Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 2.9 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.6 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 1,137 o-t-m and down 1,107 over the year (o-t-y), to 148,502.
• The number of employed was up 269 o-t-m and up 1,565 o-t-y, to 144,221.
• Initial claims were down 265 (-30%) o-t-m and down 3,135 (-84%) o-t-y, to 613.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Manufacturing and Construction, and down o-t-y in
• Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services.
• There were 2,053 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.

Three Rivers Regional Commission – Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, and Upson counties.

• The April preliminary unemployment rate was down nine-tenths to 2.3 percent over the month (o-t-m), an all-time low, the rate was 4.0 percent one year ago.
• The labor force was down 2,652 o-t-m and up 5,457 over the year (o-t-y), to 257,177.
• The number of employed was down 356 o-t-m and up 9,541 o-t-y, to 251,185.
• Initial claims were down 28 (-4%) o-t-m and down 4,739 (-86%) o-t-y, to 772.
• Initial claims were down o-t-m in Administrative and Support Services and Construction, and down o-t-y in Manufacturing and Accommodation and Food Services.
• There were 3,803 jobs posted on Employ Georgia.