ATLANTA — Jobless rates in Savannah, as well as the Coastal Georgia region, increased by a percent or more in June.
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced last week that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in metro Savannah increased to 9.5 percent in June, up 1.0 percent from a revised 8.5 percent in May. The jobless rate in metro Savannah in June a year ago was 8.8 percent.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in the Coastal Georgia area increased to 10 percent in June, up 1.1 percent from a revised 8.9 percent in May. The jobless rate in the Coastal Georgia area in June a year ago was 9.4 percent.
“The increase was caused primarily by two seasonal factors,” Butler said. “There were layoffs among non-contract public school employees, such as bus drivers and janitorial workers, and an increase in the labor force as students began looking for permanent or part-time jobs.”
The lowest area rate, at 8.0 percent, was recorded in Warner Robins, while the highest, at 12.8 percent, was in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha area near Dublin. 
Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 9.9 percent in June, up one-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 9.8 percent in May. The state’s jobless rate was 10 percent in June a year ago.
June marked the 47th consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.2 percent, up from 9.1 percent in May.
Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us