Gainesville’s unemployment rate in October stayed the same as September at 4.4 percent, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

As the rate was unchanged, Gainesville employers continued to create new jobs and more people went to work. The rate marks a one-tenth decrease from a year ago.

Now, Gainesville has the lowest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent for October. Tte heart of the Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 7 percent.

The number of jobs in the city increased by 700, or 0.8 percent, to 87,500. Most gains came in the service industries, such as trade, transportation and warehousing, along with federal and local government and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.

During the year, Gainesville gained 1,900 jobs, a 2.2 percent growth rate. Most gains came in the service and the goods-producing industries. The labor force also increased by 692 to 96,876. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed but actively looking for jobs.

While the number of employed residents increased by 575 to 92,568, the number of unemployed residents rose by 117 to 4,308.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October was 5.2 percent, up from 5.1 percent in September. It was 5.5 percent in October 2015.