ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
More Georgians were looking for work in July, as the state jobless rate jumped three-tenths of a percentage point from June.
The Georgia Department of Labor said Thursday that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up to 9.3 percent in July. That's still lower than it was in July a year ago, when the rate was 10 percent.
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said first-time claims increased by 15.7 percent in July, due primarily to loss of jobs in manufacturing.
"One of the main reasons for the increase in the unemployment rate was a large number of temporary layoffs in manufacturing," Butler said, "but many of those people have already gone back to work."
Overall, the number of jobs available in the state decreased by 17,900 from June to July.
According to the DOL, 20,600 seasonal jobs were lost in public education, offset by an increase of 5,600 of jobs in privatized education.
Butler said those who have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks represent more than half of Georgia's job seekers.
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