ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Labor announced last week that Metro Hinesville’s jobless rate in November was 5.6 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 5.9 percent in October. The November 2015 rate was 5.5 percent.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers and more people went to work.

The number of jobs increased by 200, or 1 percent, to 19,900. Most of the job gains came in the service industries and local government. Over the year, the number of jobs was unchanged at 19,900.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance declined by 15, or 8.5 percent, to 161 in November. Most of the decrease came in health care and social assistance. Over the year, claims were down by 19, or 10.6 percent, from 180 in 2015.

The number of employed residents increased by 236 to 30,841. The labor force, which consists of employed residents and those actively looking for jobs, increased by 154 to 32,665. The number of unemployed residents declined by 82 to 1,824.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 6.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for November was 5.3 percent, up from 5.2 percent in October. It was 5.5 percent in November 2015.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the GDOL’s online job listing service, www.employgeorgia.com to search for jobs or employees. In November, 185 new job openings in Hinesville were posted on Employ Georgia. Throughout the state, 62,905 new job openings were posted.