The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that metro Columbus’ unemployment rate increased to 9.3 percent in June, up eight-tenths of a percentage point from 8.5 percent in May. The rate was 9.7 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 Columbus was unchanged at 120,600. However, over the year, the number of jobs increased by 400, or three-tenths of a percentage point, from 120,200 in June 2012. All of the job gains came in the private sector, including professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, financial services, and retail trade. The federal government lost 300 jobs.

The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, rose to 131,849 in June, up by 151 from 131,698 in May. It was down by 1,022 from 132,871 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.