Unemployment figures show decline in metro Albany, no change in Southwest Georgia

ALBANY — The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that metro Albany’s unemployment rate for February was 7.5 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 7.6 percent in January, while the unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia region was unchanged from January at 7.4 percent.

The Albany metro rate was 8.8 percent, and 8.7 percent in the region, at the same time last year.

The metro rate declined last month as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers. The number of jobs increased by 300 to 61,400 in February, with most of the increase coming in state government. There was also an over-the-year gain of 700 jobs, or 1.2 percent, from 60,700 in February 2014, most of which was in the private, service-related industries, labor officials said.

There were 34.5 percent fewer new claims for unemployment insurance filed in February, as the number decreased to 560 from 855 in January. Most of the decrease in claims came in administrative and support services, retail trade and construction. Over the year, claims were down by 112, or 16.7 percent, from 672 filed in February of last year, the Labor Department said.

While the regional rate was unchanged, employers laid off 813 fewer workers in the Southwest Georgia area in February. There were 1,155 new claims for unemployment insurance filed during the month, a decrease of 41.3 percent from January. Most of the decrease in claims came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, construction, health care and social assistance and accommodations and food services.

Over the year, claims were down in Southwest Georgia by 91, or 7.3 percent, from 1,246 filed in February 2014, officials said.

Of the metro areas tracked by the state Labor Department, Gainesville had the lowest rate at 5.1 percent while metro Columbus had the highest rate during the month of February at 7.3 percent. Of the regional areas tracked, the Georgia Mountains area had the lowest rate at 5.5 percent while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.1 percent.

Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for February was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent in January. It was 7.3 percent in February 2014.