State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that metro Columbus saw the number of unemployed residents climb and its unemployment rate tick up in October.

The October unemployment rate, at 5.1 percent, was up from 4.9 percent in September. The unemployment rate rose as the number of unemployed residents increased by 285 to 6,331. Still, the October rate compares favorably to last October when the rate was 6.6 percent.

“Ideally, we’d rather not see the rate go up in any single month,” Butler said. “But it’s not alarming because the trend over the past year continues to look good. The numbers fluctuate from month to month.”

The total number of employed residents decreased by 462 to 118,006. There are 1,954 more Columbus residents employed now than in October 2016.

At the same time, metro Columbus’ labor force, which includes the total number of residents with jobs and those unemployed but looking for work, declined to 124,337, down by 177 in October. The labor force is up by 110 since October 2016.

Unemployment claims were up by 36.2 percent to 711. Claims were up in manufacturing. Claims were up by 5.2 percent from 676 in October 2016.

During October, metro Columbus added 600 jobs, which increased the total number of jobs to 121,600.  The increases were evenly distributed in manufacturing, education and health care and local government. Jobs were up the same number – 600 -- from October 2016 in education and health services, leisure and hospitality and local government.