ATLANTA — Metro Hinesville’s unemployment rate increased to 10.2 percent in June, up 0.9 percent from May, the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday.
The rate increased primarily because of two seasonal factors: Large numbers of education workers are unemployed during the summer and new graduates are considered unemployed until they find a job.
While the jobless rate increased, the number of jobs in metro Hinesville decreased by 200, or 1.0 percent, from 19,800 in May to 19,600 in June. Most of the job loss came in local government.    
The rate was 9.7 percent in June a year ago. Also, over the year, the number of jobs decreased by 200, or 1.0 percent, from 19,800 in June 2012. Most of the job losses came in federal and local government.    
The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, rose to 33,379 in June, up by 40 from 33,339 in May. It was down by 99, from 33,478, in June 2012.    
Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June was 8.6 percent, up from 8.3 percent in May. The rate was 9.1 percent in June a year ago.
Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 7.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 12.9 percent.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.