Austin medical jobs were among those that increased over the last year, helping to bolster the local economy.

During December, the Austin area’s unemployment rate dropped from 7.1 percent to 6.8 percent, after increasing from 6.9 percent during October. The area’s rate is much lower than the national average of 9.4 percent.

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area employed about 774,000 workers during December, which is down from 777,000 workers during November. However, this is still a 2 percent increase from the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The majority of the area’s monthly employment decline came from three different industries, including: government, which lost 1,300 jobs; mining, logging, and construction, which lost 1,200 jobs; and leisure and hospitality, which lost 1,200 jobs. The professional and business services industry also dropped 300 jobs.

Still, six industries saw a monthly increase in employment, including: trade, transportation, and utilities by 300 jobs; information by 200 jobs; other services by 200 jobs; manufacturing by 100 jobs; financial activities by 100 jobs; education and health services by 100 jobs;

The majority of industries saw an over-the-year increase in employment, including:

• Leisure and hospitality by 6 percent
• Other services by 4.8 percent
• Education and health services by 3.8 percent
• Government by 3.2 percent
• Professional and business services by 2.5 percent
• Manufacturing by 1.9 percent
• Financial activities by .5 percent

Only three industries experienced employment decreases between December 2009 and December 2010, including: mining, logging, and construction by 4.3 percent; information by 3.1 percent; and trade, transportation, and utilities by 1 percent.

As the city’s unemployment rate declined and more jobs were added during November 2009, Austin medical jobs and teaching jobs saw the biggest yearly increase in employment.

From August through October, the Austin-Round Rock area’s unemployment rate remained at 7.2 percent, but during November, that rate decreased to 6.9 percent. That places the city well below the national unemployment rate of 10 percent.

The Austin area had a total non-farm employment of 780,900 workers during November, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 778,500 workers during October and only a .5 percent decrease from the previous year.

Six industries saw a monthly increase in employment, including: trade, transportation and utilities by 1,300 jobs; information by 100 jobs; professional and business services by 600 jobs; leisure and hospitality by 600 jobs; other services by 100 jobs; and government by 200 jobs. Employment in the education and health services industry remained even at 85,900 workers.

Six industries also saw a yearly increase in employment. The education and health services industry added the most jobs, accounting for a 4 percent gain, followed by leisure and hospitality by 3.5 percent; other services by 2.5 percent; financial activities by 2.2 percent; professional and business services by 1 percent; and government by .6 percent.

Only four industries saw an over-the-year decrease in employment. The manufacturing industry took the biggest hit when compared to the previous year, employing 50,800 workers during November, down from 50,900 workers during October and an 11.2 percent decrease from November 2008.

In addition, employment in the mining, logging and construction industry decreased by 7.1 percent, the information industry lost 3.8 percent of its workers and employment in the trade, transportation and utilities industry declined by 2.7 percent.