Metro Savannah jobless rate drops in March
Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate for March was 5.8 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 6 percent in February, the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday. The rate in March 2014 was 7.4 percent.
The number of jobs increased by 1,700, or 1.0 percent, in March to 169,100 from 167,400 in February. Most of those came in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and retail trade, transportation and warehousing.
And there was an over-the-year gain of 7,900 jobs, or 4.9 percent, from 161,200 in March 2014. Most of that came in trade, transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality and manufacturing and construction.
However, 58 more new claims for unemployment insurance were filed in March, as the number increased to 852 from 794 in February. Most of the increase came in construction. Over the year, claims were down by 409 from 1,261 filed in March 2014.
Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 6.3 percent. It was 7.3 percent in March 2014.
‘Kitchen crasher’ to appear at parade of homes
Homes of Integrity Construction Inc. will host the second annual Parade of Homes May 2-3 in its five neighborhoods in Richmond Hill, Pooler and Savannah.
Alison Victoria, host of HGTV and DIY “Network’s Kitchen Crashers,” will make appearances in Creekside at Richmond Hill Plantation from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Mosswood at Berwick.
The first 100 visitors will receive a free autograph and photo.
The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday and continues until 6 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, visit homesofintegrityconstruction.com.
JCB Mud Run becomes mud fest this year
This year’s JCB Mud Run is being renamed as the “JCB MudFest- Run, Ride, Party!” and will be June 20 at JCB’s North American Headquarters near the Mighty Eighth Museum in Pooler.
“Each year, the Mud Run team and our community partners like to find new ways to keep the Mud Run interesting,” said Thom Peebles, JCB’s vice president of marketing. “Last year, it was the addition of Dig the Ride, the new mountain biking race which was very successful; now it’s the launch of MudFest.”
The 2015 Mud Run will consist of teams of two. The cost to enter is $100 per team before Memorial Day but will incrementally increase afterward.
Proceeds will benefit The Lady Bamford Center for Early Childhood Development. Visit www.jcbmudfest.com for more information or to sign up.
