The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Albany’s unemployment rate for July was 8.0 percent, up four-tenths of a percentage point from 7.6 percent in June. The rate in July 2014 was 9.5 percent.

The rate rose as the number of jobs in Albany decreased by 300, or 0.5 percent, in July to 59,900. The job losses came in the service-related industries, including trade, transportation and warehousing, along with local government. The total number of jobs was unchanged at 59,900 from July 2014.    

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.5 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.3 percent.  

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for July was 6.0 percent, down from 6.1 percent in June. It was 7.2 percent in July 2014.