The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Macon’s unemployment rate for December was 6.8 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 6.9 percent in November. The rate in December 2013 was 7.6 percent.

While the rate fell slightly, the number of jobs in Metro Macon declined to 100,900, down by 100 from 101,000 in November. Most of the job loss came in professional and business services, along with the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.

However, there was an over-the-year gain of 1,200 jobs, or 1.2 percent, from 99,700 in December 2013. Most of the job growth came in professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and financial services.

Also, there were 1,337 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in December, an increase of 674, or 101.7 percent, from 663 in November. Most of the increase in claims was because of seasonal temporary layoffs in manufacturing and construction, accommodations and food services, and administrative and support services. Over the year, claims were down by 587, or 30.5 percent, from 1,924 filed in December 2013.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.9 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for December was 6.9 percent, down from 7.2 percent in November. It was 7.4 percent in December 2013.

A national leader in job growth for the past two years, Georgia has been in the top 10 states for job creation every month since October 2012. That trend continued in December as the state added 108,200 new jobs, for a 2.7 percent growth rate since December 2013. That pushed the state’s job total to 4,196,400, the highest level since 4,202,100 in December 2007.