ATLANTA — Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 percent in April, state labor officials said.
The figure is down from 8.4 percent in March, and 9.1 percent a year ago, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
Georgia’s unemployment rate is now the lowest it has been since December 2008, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said.
“While a two-tenths of a percent drop in one month is good to see, the most important part of that is that we saw Georgia employers create over 31,000 jobs,” Butler said.
Most new jobs in the state were in the leisure and hospitality industry. About 10,700 jobs were created in that sector. Professional and business services saw the second-highest increase in growth with 9,400 jobs being added. Trade and transportation, education and health services and construction rounded out the top five growing industries for the month.
Despite job growth, the number of layoffs — which is represented by new claims for unemployment insurance benefits — rose by 15.3 percent between March and April. Officials say 5,661 new claims were filed, bringing the monthly total to 42,644.
Labor officials say most new claims were from former manufacturing, trade and transportation and administrative employees. The state’s unemployment claims for April were down 10.2 percent from the same time period last year.
South Carolina
South Carolina’s unemployment dropped to its lowest rate in five years in April, state officials said Friday, a drop they attributed in part to increased hiring in preparation for the state’s multi-billion-dollar summer tourist season.
The state’s jobless rate fell to 8 percent in April, according to the Department of Employment and Workforce. That’s the lowest unemployment rate in South Carolina since October 2008 and was tied with California and New York for the largest month-to-month decrease, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state’s peak unemployment rate was 12 percent in November 2009. The workforce agency said the drop from 8.4 percent in March represents the state’s largest month-to-month decrease since May 1987.