The jobless rate in Hall County is headed back in the right direction and remains the lowest in Georgia.

The metro Gainesville’s unemployment rate for February was 5.1 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 5.2 percent in January, the Georgia Department of Labor announced today. That's down from 6 percent in in February 2014.

The rate declined as employers created more jobs and laid off fewer workers, the labor department reported. The number of jobs increased by 900, or 1.1 percent, to 82,200, or 1.1 percent, from 81,300 in January. Most of the job gain came in the service-related industries, state government, and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.

There was a strong over-the-year gain of 4,500 jobs, or 5.8 percent from 77,700 in February 2014. Most of the job gain came in the goods producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction, along with trade, transportation and warehousing.

There were 332, or 36 percent, fewer new claims for unemployment insurance filed in February, as the number decreased to 589 from 921 in January. Most of the decrease in claims came in manufacturing, administrative and support services, and trade, transportation and warehousing. Over the year, claims were down by 22, or 3.6 percent, from 611 filed in February 2014.

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

The rate in the Georgia Mountains region was 5.5 percent in February, unchanged from January. The rate in February 2014 was 6.4 percent.

The state's unemployment rate for February was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent in January. It was 7.3 percent in February 2014.