The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for December was 7.2 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 7.3 percent in November. The rate in December 2013 was 7.6 percent.

While the rate declined slightly in December, the number of jobs in Metro Columbus was unchanged at 123,300 from November. However, there was an over-the-year gain of 900 jobs, or 0.7 percent, from 122,400 in December 2013. Most of the job growth came in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and financial services.

Also, there were 2,360 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in December, an increase of 1,613, or 215.9 percent, from 747 in November. Most of the increase in claims was because of seasonal temporary layoffs in accommodations and food services, manufacturing and construction, and administrative and support services. Over the year, claims were down by 19, or 0.8 percent, from 2,379 filed in December 2013.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.9 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for December was 6.9 percent, down from 7.2 percent in November. It was 7.4 percent in December 2013.

A national leader in job growth for the past two years, Georgia has been in the top 10 states for job creation every month since October 2012. That trend continued in December as the state added 108,200 new jobs, for a 2.7 percent growth rate since December 2013. That pushed the state’s job total to 4,196,400, the highest level since 4,202,100 in December 2007.