The preliminary unemployment rate in metro Gainesville was unchanged at 6.9 percent from April to May, the Georgia Department of Labor announced today.

The rate still is almost a full percentage point lower than the 7.8 percent from May 2011.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.9 percent from April to May. The jobless rate was 9.8 percent in May a year ago. The number of jobs in the state grew to 3,944,900 in May, up by 16,400 from April and by 34,000 from May a year ago.

In metro Gainesville, which includes all of Hall County, jobs rose to 80,600 in May, up by 1,700 over the month and by 6,100 over the year.

Metro Athens had the lowest jobless area rate at 6.5 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.4 percent. Athens has had the lowest area rate, or tied for the lowest, each month since December 2009. Dalton has had the highest area rate since August 2011.

The Georgia Mountains region jobless rate also was unchanged in May, remaining at 7.5 percent.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.