ATLANTA – State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the metro Savannah area increased to 9.3 percent in January, up three-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 9.0 percent in December. The jobless rate in the metro Savannah area in January 2010 was also 9.3 percent.

The rate increased because of layoffs in construction, retail trade, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services.

Unemployment in Effingham County was at 8.7 percent. Unemployment was highest in Jenkins County at 19.2 percent and lowest in Echols County, at 6.6 percent.

Unemployment rates increased in all areas of the state in January except in metro Warner Robins, where the rate remained steady. Of the 25 local areas, metro Warner Robins had the lowest January jobless rate at 7.8 percent, while the highest rate was in metro Dalton at 13.0 percent.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 10.4 percent in January, once again hitting the state’s all-time high.

The state’s jobless rate was also 10.4 percent in January 2010.

January marked the 40th consecutive month that Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is currently 9.0 percent.