ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Valdosta’s unemployment rate in August was 5.1 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 5.4 percent in July. The rate in August 2015 was 6 percent.

The rate fell as employers added more jobs. The number of jobs increased by 100, or 0.2 percent, to 56,000. Most of the job gains came in state and local government as the public schools reopened for the new school year.

Over the year, Valdosta gained 1,000 jobs, a 1.8 percent growth rate, up from 55,000 in August 2015. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, state government and other service industries.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 19, or 6.3 percent, to 321 in August. Most of the increase came in health care and social assistance, accommodations and food services, and administrative and support services. Over the year, claims were up by 52, or 19.3 percent, from 269 in August 2015.

The labor force, which consists of employed people and those who are unemployed but actively looking for jobs, declined by 576 to 63,596 in August. The number of employed residents decreased by 397 to 60,323, while the number of unemployed residents fell by 179 to 3,273.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 6.6 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for August was 4.9 percent, down from 5 percent in July. It was 5.6 percent in August 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employers. In August, 563 new job openings in Valdosta were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 62,839 new job openings were posted.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov