The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate increased to 7.4 percent in June, up five-tenths of a percentage point from 6.9 percent in May. The rate was 8.3 percent in June a year ago.

The rate increased because of seasonal factors, such as the summer job loss among non-contract school workers and an increase in the labor force as graduates and students entered the job market.

There were 165,000 jobs in Savannah in June, down by 700, or 0.4 percent, from 165,700 in May. Most of the loss came in leisure and hospitality, retail trade, and state education.

However, there was an over-the-year gain of 3,600 jobs, or 2.2 percent, from 161,400 in June 2013. The primary growth was in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and transportation and warehousing.

Also, there were 1,426 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in June, an increase of 10, or 0.7 percent, from 1,416 in May. Most of the increase in claims came in transportation and warehousing. There were 1,854 claims filed in June 2013.

The labor force grew by 277 to 184,637 from 184,360 in May.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.3 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 10.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for June was 7.4 percent, up from 7.2 percent in May. The rate was 8.4 percent in May a year ago.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov.