The Georgia Department of Labor announced today 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. The rate in February 2014 was 8.8 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers.

The number of jobs increased by 300, or 0.5 percent, to 61,400, in February from 61,100 in January. Most of the job gain came in state government. And, there was an over-the-year gain of 700 jobs, or 1.2 percent from 60,700 in February 2014. Most of the job gain was in the private, service-related industries.  

There were 295, or 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 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.1 percent. 

Meanwhile, 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.