Finally, there is some good news on the local jobless front.

The unemployment rate in the Gainesville area dropped slightly to 9.5 percent in July, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.

The unadjusted jobless rate in June for the metro Gainesville area, which includes all of Hall County, was 9.6 percent.

However, the number of unemployed workers increased in July to 8,692, up 3,531 from July of 2008. The number of payroll jobs in metro Gainesville was 74,900, a loss of 2,900 or 3.7 percent from July of 2008.

The state unemployment rate rose to 10.3 percent, up from 10.1 percent in June. Statewide, the number of payroll jobs in July decreased 199,400, or 4.9 percent, from July of 2008. The losses came mostly in manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies and construction.

Industries that have added jobs include health care, private educational services and local and state governmental education, with a combined increase of 19,600 jobs.

Last month, 493,748 unemployed Georgians were looking for work, an increase of 63.6 percent from July of 2008. Statewide, the number of payroll jobs in July decreased 199,400, or 4.9 percent, from July of 2008.

The jobless rate in the Georgia Mountains region remained unchanged at 9.8 percent in July. The rate rose one-tenth of a percent to 7.7 percent in the Athens area and the same amount in Atlanta up to 10.7 percent.