Valdosta, GA- The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that metro Valdosta’s unemployment rate declined to 7.3 percent in April, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 7.7 percent in March. The rate was 8.1 percent in April a year ago.

The rate declined as the number of jobs in metro Valdosta increased by 1,000 to 54,900, up from 53,900 in March. Most of the growth came in the service-related industries and state government.

Over-the-year, metro Valdosta added 500 jobs, or 0.9 percent, from 54,400 in April 2012. Most of the growth was in the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing, construction, mining, and logging, along with services and state government.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.6 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 10.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 8.2 percent, down from 8.4 percent in March. The rate was 9.1 percent in April a year ago.