In the first local economic news release since September 19th, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that employment in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose in September from August.
The largest gains were seen in leisure and hospitality, up 500. Employment in this sector now stands at a seasonally adjusted 28,715, a record high for Augusta.
Education and health services employment increased by 250, and government employment increased by 175. In the government sector, federal jobs continued to decline and are down 500 since February. Local government jobs were up about 300, and state employment fell by 65.
Other sectors showing improvement in September included financial services, retail, and other services, but all were up by less than 30 jobs.
Professional and business services lost the most jobs in September, down 150, followed by information, down 100, and manufacturing, down 75.
Besides the record leisure and hospitality numbers, which are obviously worth celebrating, it is hard to read too much into this month’s numbers. One hundred jobs represent just 0.04 percent of employment in the MSA. Moreover, the BLS will not release some October numbers, such as unemployment rates, because of the government shutdown. October employment numbers will be published with November figures in January. Nationally, employment fell in October but recovered some of those losses in November.
