The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for August was 7.0 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 7.4 percent in July. The rate in August 2014 was 8.5 percent.

The rate declined as the number of unemployed residents decreased by 674 to 8,797. Also, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 31, or 4.0 percent, to 735 in August. Most of the decrease came in accommodations and food services, finance and insurance, administrative and support services and retail trade. Over the year, claims were down by 162, or 18.1 percent, from 897 in August 2014. 

The number of jobs in Columbus was unchanged from July to August at 124,100. However, over-the-year, Columbus gained 2,200 jobs, a growth rate of 1.8 percent, from 121,900 in August 2014. Most of the job growth came in professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, local government, finance and insurance and retail trade.  

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.8 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 7.7 percent.  

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for August was 5.9 percent, down from 6.0 percent in July. It was 7.1 percent in August 2014.