The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Columbus’ unemployment rate for June was 7.4 percent, up four-tenths of a percentage point from 7.0 percent in May. The rate in June 2014 was 8.4 percent.

The rate rose as the number of jobs decreased and the number of new layoffs, as measured by unemployment insurance claims, increased. 

The number of jobs in Columbus decreased by 400, or 0.3 percent, in June to 124,600. Most of the job losses came in state government and educational and health services.  

However, there was an over-the-year gain of 1,900 jobs, or 1.6 percent, from June 2014. Most of the job growth came in professional and business services, retail trade and leisure and hospitality. 

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 148, or 22.1 percent, to 817 in June. Most of the increase came in manufacturing. Over the year, claims were down by 61, or 6.9 percent, from 878 filed in June 2014.     

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.3 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 8.2 percent.  

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for June was 6.1 percent, down from 6.3 percent in May. It was 7.3 percent in June 2014.