The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate for July was 6.6 percent, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 6.3 percent in June. The rate in July of last year was 6.7 percent.

The July rate increase is primarily due to seasonal factors, such as temporary layoffs in educational services. However, most of the laid-off workers have returned to their jobs.

There were 88,800 jobs in Athens in July, up by 100, or 0.1 percent, from June. The job gain in retail trade offset the losses in local government.

However, there was an over-the-year gain of 1,200 jobs, or 1.4 percent, from July 2013. The job growth was primarily in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and retail trade.

Also, there were 534 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in July, an increase of 43, or 8.8 percent, from 491 in June. Most of the increase in claims came in administrative services and construction. There were 724 claims filed in July 2013, down 26.2 percent.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.6 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for July was 7.8 percent, up from 7.4 percent in June.