Local Unemployment Drop Again in March

The unemployment rate in the Georgia Mountains region  dropped  7.1 percent in March.

That’s  down  from 7.5 percent in February and almost a full point from a year ago.  According to the Georgia Department of Labor, the rate declined because the number of unemployed workers  decreased.

Right now in the Georgia Mountains region which includes Hart and Franklin counties,  21,849 people have filed for or are receiving unemployment benefits.

In Franklin County, the unemployment rate dropped to 9.6% in March from 10.3% in February.  In March, the County’s labor force was 9,697 – of that 929 workers were receiving unemployment benefits. 

Hart County’s unemployment rate in March stood at 10.2% dropping only slightly from 10.7% in February.  The labor force in Hart County last month was 9,718 – of that, 991 people were unemployed.

Overall, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 8.4 percent, down from 8.6 percent in February.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler contributes the drop in unemployment statewide to the jump in the number of new jobs along with fewer layoffs.  And Butler said there was also strong over-the-year job growth.

“Georgia employers created 23,700 jobs last month, which is one of the best job growth numbers we’ve had in March for almost a decade,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “The growth was in several industries, led by leisure and hospitality and professional and business services.”

Additional growth came in trade, transportation and warehousing, and local government.