The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate for February was 6.0 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 6.4 percent in January. The rate in February 2014 was 7.3 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers.

The number of jobs increased by 1,700, or 1.0 percent, to 167,700 in February from 166,000 in January. Most of the job gain came in professional and business services, state government, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality. 

And, there was an over-the-year gain of 7,800 jobs, or 4.9 percent from 159,900 in February 2014. Most of the job gain came in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, trade, transportation and warehousing, education and health services, along with the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction. 

There were 916, or 53.6 percent, fewer new claims for unemployment insurance filed in February, as the number decreased to 794 from 1,710 in January. Most of the decrease in claims came in retail trade, transportation and warehousing, accommodations and food services, administrative and support services, and construction. Over the year, claims were down by 166, or 17.3 percent, from 960 filed in February 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.1 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for February was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent in January. It was 7.3 percent in February 2014.