The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the Coosa Valley area, which includes Catoosa and Walker counties, rose to 11.5 percent in June, up 1.0 percentage point from a revised 10.5 percent in May, the Georgia De-partment of Labor reported.

The 10-county Coosa Valley area includes Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk, and Walker counties.

Meanwhile, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped to 10.1 percent in June, the highest rate ever recorded in Georgia. The jobless rate was up five-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 9.6 percent in May.

Last month, 483,394 unemployed Georgians were looking for work, an increase of 65 percent from June of 2008. Of that number, 160,249, or 33 percent, are receiving state unemployment insurance benefits, while approximately 93,000 are receiving federal extended benefits.

The June jobless rate was up 4.0 percentage points from 6.1 percent at this same time last year. Georgia’s unem-ployment rate remained above the national rate of 9.5 percent for the 20th consecutive month.

The number of payroll jobs in June decreased 209,500, or 5.1 percent, from June of 2008. The over-the-year losses came in professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies, manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, and in the construction industry.

On a positive note, healthcare and educational services, showed a combined increase of 12,000 jobs.

Walker County Messenger