The Georgia Department of Labor announced that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate in October was unchanged at 6.2 percent from September to October. The rate in October 2015 was 6.5 percent.

While the rate was unchanged, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, declined by 50, or 8 percent, to 676 in October. Most of the decrease came in retail trade, information services, and health care and social assistance.  Over the year, claims were down by 56, or 7.7 percent, from 732 in October 2015.

The number of employed residents increased by 317 to 118,254, while the number unemployed decreased by 108 to 7,755. The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed but actively looking for jobs, declined by 425 to 126,009.

The number of jobs decreased by 400, or 0.3 percent, to 122,700. Most of the job losses came in professional and business services.

Over the year, the area gained 500 jobs, a 0.4 percent growth rate. Most of the job gains came in local government, leisure and hospitality, education and health services and retail trade.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 7 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for October was 5.2 percent, up from 5.1 percent in September. It was 5.5 percent in October 2015.