Columbus unemployment rate slides to 7.9 percent in April; city is No. 45 in development rankings | Business | Columbus Ledger Enquirer

Jobless rate is lowest it has been in more than five years

There were two pieces of good economic news for the Columbus metro area Thursday.

The city’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.4 percent March to 7.9 percent in April, its lowest level since 7.7 percent in December 2008.

And Columbus also came in No. 45 nationally out of 380 metro areas in economic and job growth rankings compiled by industry journal Area Development.

Among all Georgia communities, Gainesville was the closet to Columbus at No. 91 in the “Leading Locations for 2013” development rankings, with Savannah No. 144 and Atlanta No. 179. In Alabama, Mobile was No. 80 and the Auburn-Opelika, Ala., metro area No. 132.

via Columbus unemployment rate slides to 7.9 percent in April; city is No. 45 in development rankings | Business | Columbus Ledger Enquirer.