ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that metro Hinesville’s unemployment rate for October was 8 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 8.2 percent in September. The rate in October of last year was 8.9 percent.
The rate fell as Hinesville added 100 jobs in October. The total number of jobs increased to 20,000, up from 19,900, or 0.5 percent, from September. Much of the job gain came with the federal government.  
There also was an over-the-year gain of 100 jobs, or 0.5 percent, from 19,900 in October 2013. The gains came in the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.
Also, there were 176 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in October, an increase of 38, or 27.5 percent, from 138 in September. Most of the increase came in administrative and support services, manufacturing and construction, and trade, transportation and warehousing. Over the year, claims were down by 159, or 47.5 percent, from 335 filed in October 2013.     
Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the state Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for October was 7.7 percent, down from 7.9 percent in September. It was 7.8 percent in October 2013. Georgia added 33,800 new jobs in October and 96,000 since October 2013, pushing its job total to 4,166,400, the largest number since May 2008.  
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov.