ATLANTA (AP) - State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 10.1% in July, up two-tenths of a percentage point from 9.9% in June and the same as a year earlier.
Butler says the increase announced Thursday was due primarily to seasonal layoffs, with about 80% of them in state and local education.
Georgia lost 30,200 jobs in July, as total jobs dropped eight-tenths of a percentage point to 3,789,600. In addition to 24,500 jobs lost in government and education, business services lost 2,200, while construction lost 1,800.
Butler says there were 28,400 fewer jobs than in July of last year.
Manufacturing jobs increased by 1,400.
The number of long-term unemployed workers increased for the first time in five months, up 600 to 251,100.
Tennessee's unemployment numbers are expected to be released this afternoon.
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