ATLANTA (AP) — State labor officials say metro Atlanta's unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in June.

The new figure was announced early Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor.

The new jobless rate is up from 7.2 percent in May but lower than the 8.6 percent rate in June of last year.

Officials say the unemployment rate increased because of seasonal factors, such as summer job loss among non-contract school workers, temporary layoffs in manufacturing, and a rise in the labor force as graduates and students entered the job market.

Elsewhere in Georgia, metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.3 percent.

The Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest rate at 10.4 percent.

The local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.