Business & Tech

Metro Atlanta's Jobless Rate Drops to 8.3 Percent in February

While the city of Atlanta experienced a rate increase from 10.9 percent in January to 11.2 percent last month, the rate was still lower than a year ago when it was 12 percent in February 2012.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate declined to 8.3 percent last month, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 8.7 percent in January.

The rate was 9.3 percent in February a year ago.

The rate declined because the number of jobs increased and there were fewer new layoffs, which were represented by initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits.

The number of jobs in metro Atlanta increased by 6,400, climbing to 2,369,000 from 2,362,600 in January. Most of the growth came in professional and business services, 5,000, and education and health care, 2,500. Some seasonal jobs were lost in trade, transportation, and warehousing.

Over-the-year, metro Atlanta added 57,800 jobs, or 2.5 percent, from 2,311,200 in February 2012. Most of the growth was in professional and business services, 19,000; trade, transportation, and warehousing, 11,200; leisure and hospitality, 10,900; and education and health care, 9,100. The number of government jobs declined by 4,000.

The number of first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits fell by 12,497 from 31,663 in January to 19,166 in February. The decreases came mostly in construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation, and warehousing, administrative and support services, and accommodations and food services.

And, the number of initial claims was down over-the-year by 2,936 from 22,102 in February 2012. Most of the over-the-year decline came in the same industries as the monthly decline.

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While the city of Atlanta experienced a rate increase from 10.9 percent in January to 11.2 percent last month, the rate was still lower than a year ago when it was 12 percent in February 2012.

Gwinnett and Cobb had the lowest unemployment rates (7.4 percent) among the core metro counties, followed by DeKalb (8.5 percent), Fulton (8.9 percent) and Clayton (10.3 percent).

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Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.2 percent.

Last week it was announced the state’s jobless rate was 8.6 percent for February, down one-tenth of a percentage point from January, as both Georgia and the metro area continue to have higher unemployment rates than the current 7.7 national rate.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in February a year ago.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us


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