NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee's unemployment increased slightly in May, the first increase in two years.

The 7.9 percent unemployment rate is up from 7.7 percent in April.

Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis said in a release on Thursday that the increase in the jobless rate is mainly due to people "re-entering the workforce to look for work."

The national unemployment rate for May was 8.2 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than the previous month.

Education and health services saw the biggest increase compared with last month, at a growth rate of 1.5 percent. Next were jobs in mining, logging and construction at 1.2 percent, and positions in government at 0.2 percent.