The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for October was 7.8 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 8.1 percent in September. The rate in October of last year was 8.2 percent. 

The rate fell as Metro Columbus added 1,200 jobs in October. The total number of jobs increased to 122,300, up from 121,100, or 1.0 percent, from September. Much of the job gain came in retail trade, which is associated with holiday hiring, information services, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, the federal government, and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.   

There was also an over-the-year gain of 300 jobs, or 0.3 percent, from 122,000 in October 2013. The gains came in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, finance and insurance, and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.

Also, there were 920 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in October, an increase of 80, or 9.5 percent, from 840 in September. Most of the increase in claims came in administrative and support services, health care and social assistance, and retail trade. Over the year, claims were down by 194, or 17.4 percent, from 1,114 filed in October 2013.     

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.3 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for October was 7.7 percent, down from 7.9 percent in September. It was 7.8 percent in October 2013. Georgia added 33,800 new jobs in October and 96,000 since October 2013, pushing its job total to 4,166,400, the largest number since May of 2008.