Jobless rate down in metro Savannah
Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate declined to 7.1 percent in April, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 7.4 percent in March, the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday. The rate was 8.2 percent in April a year ago.
The rate declined as the number of jobs in metro Savannah increased by 1,300 to 159,200, up from 157,900 in March. Most of the growth came in leisure and hospitality, trade and transportation, and education and health services.
Over-the-year, metro Savannah added 1,600 jobs, or 1.0 percent, from 157,600 in April 2012. Most of the growth was in leisure and hospitality, trade and transportation, manufacturing, and local government.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 8.2 percent, down from 8.4 percent in March. The rate was 9.1 percent in April a year ago.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.
Savannah’s foreclosure rate down in March
Foreclosure rates in Savannah decreased for the month of March over the same period last year, according to newly released data from financial data firm CoreLogic.
The CoreLogic data reveals the rate of Savannah area foreclosures among outstanding mortgage loans was 1.38 percent for the month of March 2013, a decrease of 0.31 percentage points compared to March of 2012 when the rate was 1.69 percent. Foreclosure activity in Savannah was lower than the national foreclosure rate, which was 2.84 percent for March 2013.
Also in Savannah, the mortgage delinquency rate decreased. According to CoreLogic data for March 2013, 5.29 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent compared to 6.02 percent for the same period last year, representing a decrease of 0.73 percentage points.
Savannah ‘hackers’ invited to join national effort
The Technology Association of Georgia Savannah Chapter is seeking groups from the Savannah area to participate in the first ever National Day of Civic Hacking on June 1-2.
The event will be held at ThincSavannah, 35 Barnard St., and will be sponsored locally by TAG Savannah and The Creative Coast.
National Day of Civic Hacking will bring together citizens, software developers and entrepreneurs to collaboratively create new solutions using publicly released data, code and technology.
“Civic hackers are engineers, software developers, designers, entrepreneurs, activists, and concerned citizens who collaborate with the government and others to invent ways to improve quality of life in their communities,” said Tino Mantella, TAG president and CEO.
Interested Savannah Hackers should go to http://www.hackforchange.org/events.