The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for May was 5.7 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 6 percent in April. The rate in May 2015 was 7.1 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and more people were employed.  

The number of jobs increased by 800, or 0.7 percent, to 123,200 in May. Most of the increase came in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and financial activities.

Over the year, Columbus gained 1,200 jobs, a 1 percent growth rate, up from 122,000 in May 2015. Most of the job gains came in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, education and health services, trade, transportation and warehousing, along with state government.

Columbus’ labor force, which consists of people employed and those who are unemployed and actively looking for work, increased by 587 to 124,752. The number of employed people increased by 884, while the number of unemployed workers dropped by 297.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 192, or 22 percent, to 679 in May. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing. However, over the year, claims were up by 10, or 1.5 percent, from 669 in May 2015.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 3.8 percent, while the Heart of Georgia/Altamaha region had the highest at 6.1 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for May was 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in April. It was 5.9 percent in May 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In May, 2,292 jobs in Columbus were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 63,508 jobs were posted.