ATLANTA, GA — The state labor department says Georgia’s April unemployment rate is 3.6%. That’s six-tenths lower than the national unemployment rate. The accommodation and food services sector saw the most job growth last month. The biggest job losses came in information services.
Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes says Georgia’s sustained economic success via its labor force is a testament to the power of collaboration between the state government, business leaders, and communities.
As for the rest of the nation, there are no major changes in the number of Americans filing first-time requests for unemployment benefits.
The labor department says it received 229,000 initial claims in the week ending may 10th. Most analysts had expected today’s number to come in at right around 226,000 as compared to the previous week’s 228,000.
For those who are employed, the average hourly salary here in Georgia is $34.04, which is based on the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The highest pay per hour is in Washington, DC at $52.89.
The lowest paid workers in the US are in Mississippi where workers make an average of $28.25 an hour.
The figures represent total private hourly earnings, not seasonally adjusted.
WSB Radio’s Cheryl Castro and Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.