Houston County Unemployment Rate Hits 8.1 Percent | News

ATLANTA - Metro Warner Robins' jobless rate rose to 8.1 percent in June, compared to May's 7.4 percent. In June 2011, the rate was 8.2 percent.

Metro Macon's unemployment rate hit 10.1 percent in June. 

That's up from 9.4 percent in May. 

The rate was 10.6 percent in June 2011.

The rate increased because 758 new job seekers entered the labor force, but were unable to find work, pushing unemployment up 883.  

Metro Athens and metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rates at 7.5 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 12.3 percent. Athens has had the lowest area rate, or tied for the lowest, each month since December 2009. Dalton has had the highest area rate since August 2011.

Meanwhile, Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 9.0 percent in June, up from 8.9 percent in May, the first increase in almost a year. 

The jobless rate was 9.9 percent in June a year ago.

The number of jobs in the state dropped by 8,200, or two-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,941,500 in May to 3,933,300 in June. 

 However, jobs were up by 45,200 from 3,888,100 in June 2011. In metro Macon, jobs decreased to 97,600, down by 200 from May, but up by 1,800 from 95,800 in June 2011.