Topeka ? Students looking for summer work were a root cause for the increase in Kansas’ unemployment rate in June, state officials said Friday.

The additional people seeking jobs pushed the June rate to 4.7 percent, up from 4.1 percent in May. Despite the increase, the figure was still better than the 5.2 percent jobless rate of June 2005.

Labor Secretary Jim Garner said the increase in the jobless rate wasn’t unexpected as college and high school students looked for summer work between semesters.

For the month, labor officials said Kansas added 4,900 jobs, with the construction industry adding 1,900 of those workers. Manufacturing jobs also increased in June, particularly in the transportation equipment sector.

Garner said the economy continued to improve from the previous year, with a net gain of 1,000 jobs compared with the same period in 2005. The bulk of the jobs, 4,800, came from the government sector.

Among metro areas, Lawrence had the lowest unemployment rate last month: 4 percent, down from 4.3 percent a year ago. Rates for other metros compared with June 2005: 4.8 percent in Topeka, down from 5.5 percent; 5 percent in Wichita, down from 5.5 percent; and 5.3 percent in Kansas City, down from 5.9 percent.