Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday morning Gainesville set more records in March as all of its critical job measures trended in the right direction again.
Gainesville ranked first among Georgia’s 14 metropolitan statistical areas with a 3.3 percent unemployment rate, down .3 percent from last month. The rate was 4 percent a year ago.
Butler noted jobs, employed residents, and labor force all increased - again. At the same time, unemployment claims dropped.
Butler said he believes Gainesville has been successful in the employment arena because of the diversity of job offerings.
"In some areas, you may see one area outnumber the other. With Gainesville, you have a very diverse area and they've done a very good job attracting companies to the Gainesville area, and not only attract them, but keep them," Butler said.
The area reported strong growth in trade, transportation and utilities.
In March, the number of employed residents in the Gainesville area, at 100,279, was another record for the region. The area added 549 employed residents over the month and 4,850 for the year.
Jobs climbed by 600 in March to 92,100. The change over the past 12 months was 3,700.
The Gainesville labor force ended March at 103,648 – a record for metro Gainesville. That number is up 194 over the month and up 4,259 over the past 12 months.
Georgia’s 14 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) had unemployment rates that varied from a low of 3.3 percent in Gainesville to Dalton’s 5.3 percent. All 14 trended lower in March.
Initial claims for unemployment were down about 40 percent for the month and about 47 percent for the year.
The MSA includes Hall County.
