The Georgia Department of Labor announced last week that the unemployment rate in the Georgia Mountains region, which Dawson is a part of, is on the rise.

The unemployment rate increased to 6.3 percent in January, up from 5.9 percent in December. The rate was 8.0 percent in January a year ago.

These numbers come after a report last month that the unemployment rate was holding steady compared to 2013. This comes after a decrease from 7.6 percent at the end of 2012.

The increase, according to the Department of Labor, comes on the heels of seasonal trade, transportation and warehousing kept the jobless rate steady at the start of the year, but causing it to increase with jobs ending.

The rate rose primarily because the number of unemployed workers increased by 1,108 to 19,328, up from 18,220 in December. By comparison, there were 24,859 unemployed workers in January 2013.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.4 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.8 percent.

Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 7.3 percent, down from 7.4 percent in December. The rate was 8.6 percent in January a year ago.

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.employgeorgia.com.