ATLANTA — Metro Hinesville’s unemployment rate for July was 9.3 percent, up 0.5 percent from 8.8 percent in June, the state Department of Labor reported this week.
The rate in July of last year was 9.6 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 19,500 jobs in Hinesville in July, down by 200, or 1 percent, from June. Most of the loss came in local government.  
However, there was an over-the-year gain of 300 jobs, or 1.6 percent, from July 2013. The primary growth was in the service-related industries and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction. Government lost 400 jobs.
Also, there were 173 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in July, an increase of 15, or 9.5 percent, from 158 in June. Most of the increase in claims came in accommodations and food services and transportation and warehousing. There were 225 claims filed in July 2013, down 23.1 percent.     
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 7.8 percent, up from 7.4 percent in June.  
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.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov.