The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Athens’ unemployment rate in September was 5.6 percent, up six-tenths of a percentage point from 5 percent in August. The rate in September 2015 was 5.2 percent.

The rate rose as the labor force and number of new layoffs increased.

The labor force increased by 1,918 to 99,600. The labor force consists of employed residents and those who are unemployed, but actively looking for jobs. While the number of employed increased by 1,227 to 94,053, the number of unemployed also rose by 691 to 5,547, which contributed to the rate hike.   

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance, a measure of new layoffs, rose by 380, or 90.5 percent, to 800 in September. Most of the increase came in wholesale trade. Over the year, claims were up by 391, or 95.6 percent, from 409 in September 2015.

The number of jobs increased by 1,000, or 1.1 percent, to 96,400. Most of the job gains came in state government and professional and business services.

Over the year, Athens gained 3,700 jobs, a 4 percent growth rate, up from 92,700 in September 2015. Most of the job gains came in state government, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality, along with trade, transportation and warehousing.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia- Altamaha region had the highest at 6.7 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for September was 5.1 percent, up from 4.9 percent in August. It was 5.6 percent in September 2015.