As the unemployment rate continues to decrease in the Gainesville metro area, businesses in the area continue to open up jobs.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Gainesville businesses set a record in April for total jobs.
Butler said Gainesville ended April with 95,700 jobs, an increase of about 4,700 from the job total a year ago and up 800 from last month’s total. Butler said his department saw growth in both the public and private sectors.
The unemployment rate for Gainesville fell in April, dropping by 0.5 percentage points to settle at 2.5 percent. A year ago, the rate was 2.9 percent. Nationally, the rate for April dropped to 3.6 percent.
Butler also noted Gainesville's labor force decreased in April by 476 to reach 102,962. That number is up by 2,108 from the total of April 2018.
Gainesville ended April with 100,348 employed residents. The number climbed by 15 in April and was up by 2,468 over April 2018’s total.
The number of unemployment claims fell in April by 18 percent. Claims were up by 19 percent from the same period last year.
The one-county MSA includes Hall County.
