Metro Dalton's unemployment rate rises to 11.6 percent in June

The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that metro Dalton's unemployment rate increased to 11.6 percent in June, up nine-tenths of a percentage point from 10.7 percent in May. The rate was 11.9 percent in June a year ago.

The rate increased primarily because of two seasonal factors: large numbers of education workers are unemployed during the summer and new graduates are considered unemployed until they find a job.

While the jobless rate increased, the number of jobs in metro Dalton grew by 100, or two-tenths of a percentage point, from 63,500 in May to 63,600. Most of the job growth came in textile manufacturing and professional and business services. Over the year, the number of jobs was unchanged at 63,600 in June 2012.

The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, rose to 59,566 in June, up by 182 from 59,384 in May. It was down by 441 from 60,007 in June 2012.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 7.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 12.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June was 8.6 percent, up from 8.3 percent in May. The rate was 9.1 percent in June a year ago.

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