The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for July was 9.1 percent, up six-tenths of a percentage point from 8.5 percent in June. The rate in July of last year was 9.0 percent.

The July rate increase is primarily due to seasonal factors, such as temporary layoffs in educational services and manufacturing. However, most of the laid-off workers have returned to their jobs.

There were 121,400 jobs in Columbus in July, down by 900, or 0.7 percent, from June. The losses came mostly in local government.

However, there was an over-the-year gain of 800 jobs, or 0.7 percent, from July 2013. The primary growth was in leisure and hospitality and professional and business services.

Also, there were 1,032 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in July, an increase of 154, or 17.5 percent, from 878 in June. Most of the increase was due to temporary layoffs in manufacturing. There were 1,287 claims filed in July 2013, down 19.8 percent.

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 for July was 7.8 percent, up from 7.4 percent in June.