Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Northwest region saw its unemployment rate and number of unemployment claims fall in March.

Preliminary results showed that the 12-county area posted monthly losses in labor force and while the number of employed residents increased in March. 

“We are moving into the Spring with a strong jobs report,” Butler said. “The national economy is booming. Georgia is also producing strong numbers consistently across the state.”

The unemployment rate fell in March. The rate dropped 0.6 percentage points in March, settling at 3.7 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4 percent.

Nationally, the rate for February was 3.8 percent.

The labor force fell in March by 1,938. The March total was 420,113. That number is down by 893 from the total from March 2018. That’s an average monthly gain of about 75.

The Northwest region ended March with 404,701 employed residents.  The number increased by 760 in March and 683 as compared to last March, an average monthly gain of about 57.

The number of unemployment claims fell in March by 28 percent. When compared to last March, claims were down by 7 percent.

In March, claims were down in manufacturing and construction.