The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Macon’s unemployment rate for October was 7.7 percent, unchanged from September. The rate in October of last year was 8.4 percent. 

While the rate was unchanged, Metro Macon added 700 jobs in October. The total number of jobs increased to 99,700, up from 99,000, or 0.7 percent, from September. Much of the job gain came in education and health services, professional and business services, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, the job sectors associated with holiday hiring, the federal government, and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.  

There was also an over-the-year gain of 1,000 jobs, or 1.0 percent, from 98,700 in October 2013. The gains came in professional and business services, trade, transportation and warehousing, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and financial services.   

Also, there were 1,110 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in October, an increase of 275, or 32.9 percent, from 835 in September. Most of the increase in claims came in manufacturing and construction, wholesale and retail trade, accommodations and food services, and health care and social assistance. Over the year, claims were down by 77, or 6.5 percent, from 1,187 filed in October 2013.     

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.3 percent.    

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for October was 7.7 percent, down from 7.9 percent in September. It was 7.8 percent in October 2013. Georgia added 33,800 new jobs in October and 96,000 since October 2013, pushing its job total to 4,166,400, the largest number since May of 2008.