The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate for August was 6.4 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 6.6 percent in July. The rate in August of last year was 6.1 percent. 

The rate dropped primarily because the number of jobs increased and the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, which is a measure of new layoffs, decreased. 

There were 89,300 jobs in Athens in August, up by 700, or 0.8 percent, from July. The gains came in local government and the service-related industries. 

And, there was an over-the-year gain of 300 jobs, or 0.3 percent, from August 2013. The job gains were in trade and transportation, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality. 

Also, there were 334 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in August, a decrease of 200, or 37.5 percent, from 534 in July. Most of the decrease in claims came in manufacturing, administrative and educational services, and construction. Over the year, claims were down 35.3 percent from the 516 claims filed in August 2013.    

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.4 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 10.7 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for August was 8.1 percent, up from a revised 7.7 percent in July. It was 8.2 percent in August 2013.