More layoffs and more people looking for work caused metro Savannah’s unemployment rate to increase by one-tenth of a percentage point in March, the state department of labor announced Thursday.
The non-seasonally adjusted rate was 6.7 percent, slightly higher than 6.6 percent in February but an improvement over the year. The rate was 7.4 percent in March 2013.
The Georgia Department of Labor said the labor force increased by 1,442 to 183,866, as more job seekers began looking for employment in Bryan, Chatham and Effingham counties.
At the same time, there were 1,261 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in March, an increase of 31 percent or about 300 more claims than last month. Most of the increase came in transportation and warehousing. There were 1,145 claims in March 2013.
Chatham County accounted for the biggest increase in new layoffs, with an increase of 28 percent over the year for a total of 1,032 claims.
Although the rate rose, Savannah employers created more jobs. The number of jobs increased to 162,900 in March, up by 2,400, or 1.5 percent, from March 2013. The job gains came mostly in leisure and hospitality and trade, transportation, and warehousing. There was also a pick up in retail jobs from February.
Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.4 percent.
Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March continued its nine-month slide down to 7 percent, compared to 8.4 percent a year ago.
Speaking at a small business panel Wednesday, Brian Davis, manager of the department of labor’s Savannah career center, plugged its new employer hotline. For business owners with questions on unemployment insurance or posting jobs to their website, call the hotline at 855-436-7365.
