The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for February was 7.3 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 7.5 percent in January. The rate in February 2014 was 8.2 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers.

The number of jobs increased by 1,000, or 0.8 percent, to 122,900 in February from 121,900 in January. Most of the job gain came in state government, leisure and hospitality, and education and health services. 

And, there was an over-the-year gain of 1,700 jobs, or 1.4 percent from 121,200 in February 2014. Most of the job gain came in education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and trade, transportation and warehousing.  

There were 717, or 45.8 percent, fewer new claims for unemployment insurance filed in February, as the number decreased to 849 from 1,566 in January. Most of the decrease in claims came in accommodations and food services, manufacturing, administrative and support services, construction, and retail trade. Over the year, claims were down by 299, or 26 percent, from 1,148 filed in February 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.1 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for February was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent in January. It was 7.3 percent in February 2014.