Local & State Headlines

Jobless rate holding steady

Susan McCord

ALBANY — Unemployment in metro Albany held steady in March at 5.5 percent, according to data released Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor.

However, the rate is .9 percent higher than a year ago, when unemployment was at 4.6 percent, the labor department reported.

Unemployment dropped .1 percent in Southwest Georgia, to 5.4 percent, though it was 4.5 percent in March 2007.

Georgia unemployment was unchanged in March, at 5.3 percent, but up from 4.1 percent a year ago, the department said.

The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate is 5.2 percent.

Metro Albany added approximately 200 jobs from February to March, including 100 jobs in retail trade, for a total of 64,600 jobs, according to labor department data.

Preliminary labor force estimates show unemployment declined during March in the city of Albany from 6.2 percent to 6.1 percent, while it was 5.1 percent a year ago.

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