The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for March was 6.6 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 6.8 percent in February. The rate in March 2015 was also 6.8 percent.

The rate declined as employers created 600 more jobs, pushing the total to 121,700, up by 0.5 percent, from 121,100 in February.   Most of the increase came in leisure and hospitality, education and health services, information services, and retail trade, along with mining, logging and construction. 

Over the year, Columbus gained 300 jobs, a 0.3 percent growth rate, up from 121,400 in March 2015. Most of the job gains came in finance and insurance and education and health services. 

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by six, or 0.8 percent, to 795 in March. Most of the increase came in manufacturing. And, over the year, claims were up by 63, or 8.6 percent, from 732 in March 2015. 

Also, Columbus’ labor force increased by 522 to 124,910.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.5 percent, while the River Valley region had the highest at 6.9 percent.  

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.5 percent, up from 5.4 percent in February. It was 6.2 percent in March 2015. 

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said job seekers and employers should use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or recruit new employees.  In March, 2,694 jobs in Columbus were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 78,986 jobs were posted. 

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.georgia.gov.