State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said metro Columbus’ jobs, employment and labor force numbers grew in November, as unemployment insurance claims fell.

“This is a great jobs report,” Butler said. “For the year, all the significant numbers are trending in the right direction. This is further proof of our growing, dynamic economy.”

Metro Columbus posted 122,900 jobs in November, up by 1,000 since October.  The job growth came in professional and business services, retail trade, and local government.      

Since November 2016, metro Columbus has posted 1,000 new jobs, a 0.8 percent growth rate. Over-the-year job growth has come in many of the same industries as the monthly job gains, along with education and health services and leisure and hospitality.  

The number of employed residents rose by 487 to 118,650. From November a year ago, the number of employed residents was up by 2,038 from 116,612.   

The area’s labor force, which includes the total number of residents with jobs and those unemployed but looking for work, is up by 519 in November. The labor force, at 124,995, is up by 795 since November 2016.

Unemployment claims were down by 0.6 percent to 707. Claims were down in retail trade. When compared to last November, claims were down by 4.1 percent from 737.

The November unemployment rate, at 5.1 percent, was unchanged from October. The November rate compares favorably to last November when the rate was 6.1 percent.