The Columbus metropolitan area jumped to 10. 4 percent in January, the Georgia Department of Labor reported today, reflecting a surge in the number of unemployed workers. The local rate is up from 9. 4 percent in December and matches the states rate of 10.

4 percent in January. The ranks of the unemployed in the Columbus area swelled from a revised 12,058 in December to 13,377 in January, the department said. Here are the rates for individual Georgia counties in and around Columbus Muscogee, 10 percent; Harris, 8. 2 percent; Chattahoochee, 18.

5 percent; Troup, 13. 4 percent; Meriwether, 14. 2 percent; Talbot, 9. 5 percent; Marion, 11.

3 percent; Schley, 14. 3 percent; Sumter, 14. 6 percent; Webster, 11. 1 percent; and Stewart, 11.

2 percent. The Alabama unemployment rate, meanwhile, rose from 10. 9 percent in December to 11. 1 percent in January.

Among the states metro areas, Huntsville had the lowest rate at 9. 1 percent, while Mobile was the highest at 12. 6 percent. The Auburn-Opelika metro areas jobless rate in January was 10.

5 percent, up from 9. 3