The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that metro Valdosta’s unemployment rate increased to 9.1 percent in June, up 1.0 percent from 8.1 percent in May. The rate was also 9.1 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 Valdosta decreased by 1,500, or 2.7 percent, from 55,200 in May to 53,700 in June. Most of the job losses came in state government and trade and transportation.

Also, over the year, the number of jobs decreased by 400, or seven-tenths of a percentage point, from 54,100 in June 2012. Most of the job losses came in state government and trade and transportation

The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, declined to 67,447 in June, down by 1,285 from 68,732 in May. It was down by 809 from 68,256 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.