Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Valdosta added to its labor force in February.

According to preliminary data, the four-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA) also showed a jump in employment for the month and the year.

In Valdosta, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in February, staying at 3.7 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.9 percent.

The labor force increased in February by 197 and ended the month with 64,854. That number is up 982 when compared to February of 2019.

Valdosta ended February with 56,100 jobs. That number decreased by 200 from January to February, and increased by 100 over the year.

Valdosta finished the month with 62,465 employed residents, an all-time high.  That number increased by 183 over the month and is up by a significant 1,093 when compared to the same time a year ago.

The number of unemployment claims went down by about 49 percent in February. When compared to last February, claims were up by about 17 percent.