The Georgia Department of Labor announced that Metro Dalton’s unemployment rate increased to 9.3 percent in June, up five-tenths of a percentage point from 8.8 percent in May. The rate was 11.1 percent in June a year ago.
The rate increased because of seasonal factors, such as the summer job loss among non-contract school workers and an increase in the labor force as graduates and students entered the job market.
There were 64,000 jobs in Dalton in June, down by 200, or 0.3 percent, from 64,200 in May.
Most of the loss came in state and local education.
However, there was an over-the-year gain of 400 jobs, or 0.6 percent, from 63,600 in June 2013. The primary growth was in local government, retail trade and textile manufacturing.
Also, there were 772 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in June, an increase of 129, or 20.1 percent, from 643 in May. Most of the increase in claims came in administrative and support services, along with transportation and warehousing. There were 983 claims filed in June 2013.
The labor force grew by 309 to 58,072 from 57,763 in May.
Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.3 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 10.4 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for June was 7.4 percent, up from 7.2 percent in May. The rate was 8.4 percent in May a year ago.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov