The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate for July was 6.3 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from 6.2 percent in June. The rate in July 2014 was 7.7 percent.

The rate rose as more job seekers entered the labor force looking for work and the number of new layoffs increased.

The labor force increased to 94,000, up by 113 from June.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 65, or 14.1 percent, to 526 in July. Most of the increase came in administrative and support services, wholesale trade, manufacturing, and health care and social assistance. Over the year, claims were down by eight, or 1.5 percent, from 534 in July 2014.     

While the number of jobs in Athens was unchanged at 91,700 from June to July, there was an increase of 2,100, or 2.3 percent, from 89,600 in July 2014. The job gains came in leisure and hospitality, state and local government, professional and business services and retail trade.  

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.5 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.3 percent.  

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for July was 6.0 percent, down from 6.1 percent in June. It was 7.2 percent in July 2014.