Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Coastal Georgia region added to its labor force in January.

The Coastal region also saw its annual number of employed increase, preliminary numbers show.

In Coastal Georgia, the unemployment rate increased 0.5 percentage points in January, settling at 3.4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.1 percent.

The labor force in Coastal Georgia increased by 428 in January, bringing the total to 329,817. The number has decreased by 153 when compared to the same month a year ago.

Coastal Georgia lost 1,446 employed residents in January, bringing the total to 318,489. The number is up 2,153 for the year.

Claims for unemployment insurance were up by 27 percent in January. They were up by about 3 percent when compared to the same month a year ago.

The Coastal region includes Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Screven counties.