The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Albany’s unemployment rate for July was 9.1 percent, up four-tenths of a percentage point from 8.7 percent in June. The rate in July of last year was 9.3 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 60,700 jobs in Albany in July, up by 100, or 0.2 percent, from June. The gains came in the service-related industries and construction.

Also, there was an over-the-year loss of 100 jobs, or 0.2 percent, from July 2013. The job loss was with the federal government.

Also, there were 671 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in July, a decrease of 124, or 15.6 percent, from 795 in June. Most of the decrease in claims came among manufacturing workers. There were 889 claims filed in July 2013, down 24.5 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.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov.