Columbus metro area unemployment rate climbs to 6.8 percent in January

A post-holidays decline in jobs helped push the Columbus metro area unemployment rate higher to 6.8 percent in January, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.

The rate rose from 6.3 percent in December and compares to 7.5 percent in January 2015. The Columbus jobless rate remains among the highest in Georgia, with only the carpet manufacturing hub of Dalton worse in January at 7.2 percent.

Georgia’s overall figure in January, reported last week, was 5.4 percent and compares to 6.3 percent in January 2015.

“When you take a look at January for Columbus, you’re typically, over the last several years, going to see some job loss and mostly that’s going to be due to the fact that you’re coming out of the holiday season,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “We did see a significant amount of jobs going away from December to January. That number was about 1,800 jobs. … Even with that significant amount of jobs going away from December to January, over the year we’re still showing a pretty good job gain. There’s 600 more jobs this January than there were this time last year.”

In fact, every metro area in Georgia and the state as a whole saw unemployment rates climb from December to January, with retailers and service businesses that do heavy business between Thanksgiving and Christmas laying off extra help.

The Columbus metro area, which had 121,100 jobs in January, down from 122,900 in December, experienced losses in the sectors of retail trade, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services.

In the area of first-time unemployment claims, which indicate layoffs, the city actually saw an overall decrease of 481 filings from December to January, with 1,533 people seeking initial assistance in the latter month. The manufacturing, accommodations and food service sectors were the largest decliners in first-time claims, the department said.

Among Georgia’s metro areas, Gainesville had the lowest jobless rate in January at 4.5 percent, edging out Athens at 4.8 percent.

Here are the January 2016 unemployment rates for Georgia’s metro areas:

▪  Gainesville — 4.5 percent

▪  Athens — 4.8 percent

▪  Atlanta — 5.2 percent

▪  Savannah — 5.2 percent

▪  Valdosta — 5.4 percent

▪  Brunswick — 5.8 percent

▪  Macon — 5.8 percent

▪  Warner Robins — 5.8 percent

▪  Hinesville — 5.9 percent

▪  Augusta — 6.1 percent

▪  Rome — 6.2 percent

▪  Albany — 6.3 percent

▪  Columbus — 6.8 percent

▪  Dalton — 7.2 percent

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Columbus metro area unemployment rate climbs to 6.8 percent in January."