The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that metro Savannah’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.7 percent from November to December, but was down from 8.1 percent in December a year ago.

While the unemployment rate was unchanged, the number of jobs in metro Savannah declined by 1,300 to 158,800 in December. The loss was mostly in education and health care, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services.

However, the over-the-year job numbers show an increase of 300 jobs, or 0.2 percent, since December 2012, when there were 158,500 jobs. Most of the job gains came in trade, transportation and warehousing, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services.

The number of new layoffs, represented by initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, increased to 1,820, up by 663, or 57.3 percent, from 1,157 in November. Claims increased in several sectors, including transportation and warehousing, accommodations and food service, and construction. There were 1,436 claims in December 2012.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 10.2 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 7.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent in November. The rate was 8.7 percent in December a year ago.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.