Kennesaw's Unemployment Rate Dips to 8.5%

Kennesaw's unemployment rate dropped to 8.5 percent in March, a decrease of three tenths of a percent from February's rate.

A year ago the city's unemployment rate was much higher at 9.8 percent.

Cobb County's overall unemployment rate was even lower at 7.1 percent, a decline of three tenths of a percent compared to February's rate. The number of employed workers rose by 1,177 in March, with the labor force increasing by 157 people to 377,648.

Kennesaw had 1,425 people who were counted as jobless in March, 52 fewer than in February. The number of people employed rose by 52, while the labor force remained steady at 16,825 workers.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate declined to 7.9 percent in March from 8.3 percent in February. The rate was 8.9 percent in March a year ago.

The rate declined because of an increase in the number of jobs and fewer new layoffs.

City                     Rate
Alpharetta             5.9%
Atlanta                 9.9
Douglasville         10.1
Johns Creek          6.4
Kennesaw             8.5
Marietta                7.9
Roswell                 5.9
Sandy Springs       6.1

Smyrna                7.7
Metro Atlanta        7.9

Georgia                8.4

The number of jobs in metro Atlanta increased to 2,381,200, up by 13,100 from 2,368,100 in February. Most of the growth came in leisure and hospitality, 5,900; administrative and support services, 4,600; and professional and business services, 4,200. The number of government jobs declined by 1,400.