The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the preliminary unemployment rate in the metro Valdosta area rose to 8.5 percent in December, up three-tenths of a percentage point from 8.2 percent in November. The rate was 8.7 percent in December 2011.

The rate rose because of a loss of jobs and more people were unemployed. The number of unemployed people rose by 195 to 5,673, up from 5,478 in November.

The number of jobs declined by 200 to 52,700, from 52,900 in November. The monthly loss was mostly in the service-related industries. There were 52,200 jobs in December 2011.

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 increased to 8.6 percent in December, up one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.5 percent in November. The rate was 9.4 percent in December a year ago.