State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said recently the unemployment rate in the Coosa Valley area increased three-tenths percent in June to 4.0 percent, up from 3.7 percent in May.

The area’s jobless rate was 4.2 percent in June 2000.

The rate was up in June because some manufacturing workers were temporarily laid off and more people entered the job market.

Georgia’s unemployment rate increased six-tenths percent in June to 4.1 percent, matching its highest level in nearly a year. The rate was up from 3.5 percent in May. It was 4.4 percent in June 2000.

“The combination of layoffs and slowing job growth are having an impact,” Thurmond said. “We’ve experienced a net loss of 20,000 manufacturing jobs over the past year and many of those workers are in retraining or still trying to find replacement jobs. Added to that are 25,000 more people entering the job market.”

The number of employed residents in the Coosa Valley area increased to 252,515 in June, up by 2,660 or 1.1 percent, from June 2000.

Labor market data are now available on the Georgia Department of Labor’s Web site at www.dol.state.ga.us