ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia region rose to 9.3 percent in January, up five-tenths of a percentage point from 8.8 percent in December. The rate was 10 percent in January 2012.

The rate rose because there were 6,668 more new claims for unemployment benefits in construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, administrative and support services, and health care and social assistance. Claims rose by 107.2 percent, from 6,220 in December to 12,888 in January. 

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.6 percent, while metro Dalton and the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.9 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 8.7 percent, unchanged from December. The rate was 9.3 percent in January a year ago.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us