A new labor report shows no other metro area lost more jobs in the nation than Atlanta over the past year—nearly 31,000. And while other metro areas in the state also took hits, a handful of others gained jobs.

The big loss for the Atlanta-metro was not the biggest in Georgia by percentage. The U.S. Bureau of Labor says Valdosta lost 2.6 percent of its jobs, or 1,400 positions, in the 12 months since August of 2010. And in Gainesville, the hit was 2.5 percent, or 1,800 jobs gone.

But there was an increase of 1,400 jobs in Macon and 800 in Athens. And in southwest Georgia, Albany added 800.

Barbara Holmes markets industry for the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission. She says some of their gains have come from small companies avoiding big metros like Atlanta.

“We’ve seen new businesses pop-up. Some of them have two people, some of them have five or some of them have 10. But every job counts. And you’re seeing more of those small businesses come up.”

And there was good news in Carrollton on Thursday. Carroll County-based Greenway Medical Technologies is expanding its corporate headquarters, with will create an additional 400 jobs.

Tags: Georgia, economy, Atlanta, Valdosta, Albany, Macon, Gainesville, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs report