Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Valdosta mostly prospered even as the state saw generally down numbers in April for several cities.
 
In Valdosta, the April unemployment rate and initial unemployment claims fell while the number of employed residents and the number of jobs climbed. On the other hand, the labor force slightly declined for the month.  
 
“Even though we did see some fluctuations in the employment and workforce numbers across the state, job growth continues to be very strong,” Butler said.
 
Valdosta added 500 jobs for the month, pushing its total to 57,000. This puts Valdosta up 800 jobs for the year.
 
The number of employed also grew in April. Valdosta added 150 employed residents. At 63,622 total employed residents, Valdosta is up by 1,616 for the year.
 
The April unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent, down 0.4 percent from the previous month and down from 4.3 percent one year ago.
 
The only negative number for the month was a drop in the labor force. The labor force dropped by 135 to 66,044 in April but remained up by 1,264 for the year. Only one MSA, Brunswick, added to its work force during the month.
 
Initial claims for unemployment fell by 20 percent for the month but are up by nearly 9 percent from last year. Six of the 14 MSAs saw claims rise in April.