Metro Atlanta employers added more jobs in February

Top areas include private education, hospitality services.

Metro Atlanta last month added about 13,600 jobs — slightly better than an average pre-pandemic February — while the unemployment rate stayed low.

The jobless rate was 3.0% — same as the revised rate for January — despite more people looking for work in February. The unemployment rate measures people working or actively searching for work.

“Georgia continues to thrive, fueled by a powerhouse workforce and savvy economic investments,” state Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said. “For the past 48 months and counting, Georgia has continued to outshine the nation with low unemployment and high-quality jobs.”

The jobless rate for metro Atlanta a year ago was 3.3%.

The total number of jobs in the region now stands at 3.17 million.

The top sectors in the region that saw job gains in February were administrative and support services, private education, hospitality and food services, and state and local governments.

The region saw some job losses in wholesale trade, retail and logistics.

The state and regional economies have proven resilient amid an effort by the Federal Reserve to tame inflation. The Fed hiked interest rates to cool demand for goods and kept monetary policy tight while also trying not to tip the U.S. economy into recession.

Though job creation has slowed in the past year or so, that delicate balance has thus far succeeded.

In the past year, metro Atlanta has seen significant growth in health care, government, hospitality and food services, arts and entertainment and finance and insurance jobs.