The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that metro Augusta’s unemployment rate increased to 9.3 percent in June, up 1.0 percent from 8.3 percent in May. The rate was 9.5 percent in June a year ago.

The rate increased primarily because of two seasonal factors: large numbers of education workers are unemployed during the summer and new graduates are considered unemployed until they find a job.

While the jobless rate increased, the number of jobs in metro Augusta grew by 300, or one-tenth of a percentage point, from 216,900 in May to 217,200. All of the job growth came in the private sector, mostly in retail trade and professional and business services.

Over the year, the number of jobs increased by 4,100, or 1.9 percent, from 213,100 in June 2012. All of the job gains came in service-related industries in the private sector, while 200 jobs were lost in local government.

The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, rose to 266,292 in June, up by 1,730 from 264,562 in May. It was up by 2,162 from 264,130 in June 2012.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 7.2 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 12.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June was 8.6 percent, up from 8.3 percent in May. The rate was 9.1 percent in June a year ago.