Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Columbus set a record for an all-time low unemployment rate in October.
 
According to preliminary data, Columbus saw its labor force, jobs and employment all grow across the five-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA).  The unemployment rate fell as well.
 
“In October we had eight local communities set a total of 13 new records,” Butler said. “We increased jobs, employment and added to our labor force in virtually all of our major markets.”
 
Nationally, the unemployment rate climbed in October to 3.6 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage points. The nation also grew its labor force by 325,000, increased employment by 241,000 and added more 125,000 jobs.
 
Georgia’s unemployment rate, meanwhile, fell in October by 0.1 percentage points to 3.4 percent. That tied Georgia’s all-time low set in December of 2000.
 
Rates fell or held steady across all 11 of Georgia’s 14 MSAs. Four set a record for lowest rate ever.
 
In Columbus, the unemployment rate decreased 0.1 percentage points in October, reaching 3.5 percent- an all-time low. A year ago, the rate was 4.4 percent.
 
Columbus ended October with 123,200 jobs. That’s an increase of 1,200 jobs over the month and a decrease of 200 jobs when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The labor force increased in October by 749. The total was 123,497. That number has gone down by 1,437 when compared to October of 2018.
 
Columbus ended October with 119,179 employed residents.  That number increased by 873 over the month but decreased by 316 when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The number of unemployment claims went up by about 8 percent in October. When compared to last October, claims were down by about 29 percent.