Rockdale's unemployment rate went down by a tenth of a percentage point from last month and is 1.3 percent down from this time last year.

This mirrors metro Atlanta's unemployment rate, which was 6.1 percent in February, a drop of one-tenth of a percentage point from 6.2 percent in January. The rate in February 2014 was 7.1 percent, according to the Ga. Department of Labor.

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

The number of jobs in Atlanta increased by 12,200, or 0.5 percent, in February to 2,541,000 from 2,528,800 in January. Most of the job gain came in professional and business services, 4,700; construction, 3,000; education and health services, 2,900; government, 2,800; and leisure and hospitality, 1,600.

And, there was a strong over-the-year gain of 110,900 jobs, or 4.6 percent, from 2,430,100 in February 2014. This is the largest over-the-year job growth for any month since June 1999. All sectors gained jobs and six scored a growth rate of more than 4.0 percent. They were professional and business services, 24,200 (5.5%); trade, transportation and warehousing 24,100 (4.5%); leisure and hospitality, 18,200 (7.5%); education and health services, 15,600 (5.2%), construction 7,700 (8.1%), and financial activities, 6,900 (4.4%).

There were 8,819, or 38.6 percent fewer new claims for unemployment insurance filed in February, as the number declined to 14,034 from 22,853 in January. Most of the decrease in claims came in administrative and support services, manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, and accommodations and food services. Over the year, claims were down by 3,921, or 21.8 percent, from 17,955 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.