The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for September was 8.1 percent, down eight-tenths of a percentage point from 8.9 percent in August. The rate in September of last year was 8.2 percent. 

The rate dropped because there were 1,007 fewer unemployed people in the Columbus area in September, according to the federal government’s monthly household survey, and there were fewer new layoffs. 

While the rate decreased, Metro Columbus lost 100 jobs over the month and year, as the total number of jobs dropped to 121,200, down from 121,300 in August and September 2013. The over-the-month job loss came mostly in leisure and hospitality, while the loss over the year came in trade, transportation and warehousing, along with local government.  

Also, there were 840 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in September, a decrease of 57, or 6.4 percent, from 897 in August. Most of the decrease in claims came in administrative and educational services, health care and social assistance, and finance and insurance. Over the year, claims were down 13.4 percent from the 970 filed in September 2013.    

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.7 percent, while  the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.5 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for September was 7.9 percent, down from 8.1 percent in August. It was 8.0 percent in September 2013.