UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN IN GEORGIA TO LOWEST RATE SINCE MARCH 2009

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler has announced that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February has declined for the seventh consecutive month to 9.1 percent, the lowest rate since March of 2009, when it was also 9.1 percent.  That number is down from a revised 9.2 percent in January.  Georgia’s jobless rate stood at 9.9 percent in February 2011.

Butler says he’s encouraged by the decline in the state’s unemployment rate.

Some 15,600 jobs were created statewide in February.  The addition of those new jobs gives Butler a positive outlook for the year ahead.

The number of jobs in February increased to 3,880,400, with 70 percent of the February growth coming in the private sector.  Newly revised numbers also show that Georgia gained 41,800 jobs in the past 12 months.

The employment sectors showing the most growth over the year were: professional and business services by 28,000 jobs, retail trade by 12,700, education and health care by 8,300 and manufacturing by 4,200.

In metro Rome, jobs were down by 1,200 or 3.2 percent from 37,900 in February 2011 to 36,700 in February 2012.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits declined in February to the lowest number since June 2008 to 46,326, down 31,430 or 40.4 percent from 77,756 in January.  The majority of the decline came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, trade, construction, and accommodations and food services.  First-time claims were also down over the year by 9,250 or 16.6 percent from the 55,576 filed in February 2011.

In metro Rome, initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits were down by 364 or 36.3 percent from 1,004 in February 2011 to 640 in February 2012.

In addition, the number of long-term unemployed workers in Georgia declined by 2,500 to 241,700 from January to February, the lowest number since October 2010.