Preliminary jobless rates for both the metro Savannah area and Coastal Georgia increased in January, according to numbers released Thursday from state Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the metro Savannah area increased to 9.3 percent in January, up three-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 9.0 percent in December. The jobless rate in the metro Savannah area in January 2010 was also 9.3 percent.

The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the Coastal Georgia area rose to 9.7 percent January, up three-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 9.4 percent in December. The jobless rate in the Coastal area in January 2010 was 9.6 percent.
Butler said the rate increased because of layoffs in construction, retail trade, administrative and support services, accommodations and food services, leisure and hospitality and professional and business services.

Unemployment rates increased in all areas of the state in January except in metro Warner Robins, where the rate remained steady. Of the 25 local areas, metro Warner Robins had the lowest January jobless rate at 7.8 percent, while the highest rate was in metro Dalton at 13.0 percent.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 10.4 percent, once again hitting the state’s all-time high. The state’s jobless rate was also 10.4 percent in January 2010.

January marked the 40th consecutive month that Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.0 percent.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.