The unemployment rate for the York-Hanover area rose three-tenths of a percentage during the first month of the year.

York County's unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in January, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

"A seasonal pattern has come into play," said William Sholly, and analyst with the state Department of Labor & Industry.

Retailers that hired workers to get through the holiday shopping season cut 700 jobs in January, the agency reported.

Mining, logging and construction slashed 500 jobs in January due to winter weather, and education and health services dropped 1,000 jobs during winter break at local schools, Sholly said.

"So the slight increase in unemployment is not necessarily a bad thing," he said.

The 7.9 percent rate in January is an increase from December's 7.6 percent rate and is also higher than the 7.6 percent rate logged in January 2012.

Pennsylvania's January unemployment rate also increased three-tenths to 8.2 percent, and the nation's rate ticked up one-tenth to 7.9 percent.