Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Macon tied in October its historic low unemployment rate.
 
According to preliminary data, Macon also saw increases in employment, jobs and workforce across the five-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained steady.
 
“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. We head into the holidays strong.”
 
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 Macon, the unemployment rate remained constant at 3.3 percent in October- an all-time low. A year ago, the rate was 4.3 percent.
 
Macon ended October with 104,400 jobs. That’s an increase of 300 jobs over the month and an increase of 900 jobs when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The labor force increased in October by 84. The total was 103,590. That number has decreased by 622 when compared to the same time last October.
 
Macon ended October with 100,153 employed residents.  That number went up by 108 over the month and increased by 406 when compared to the same time a year ago.
 
The number of unemployment claims went up by about 54 percent in October. When compared to last October, claims were down by about 10 percent.