The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the preliminary unemployment rate in Floyd County declined to 9.6 percent in September, down six-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 10.2 percent in August. The rate was 11.3 percent in September 2011.

The rate declined primarily because the number of unemployment people decreased by 210, while the number of employed people increased by 583.

The preliminary unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia area declined to 8.8 percent in September, down five-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 9.3 percent in August. The rate was 10.3 percent in September 2011.

The rate declined primarily because the number of unemployed people decreased by 1,843. Also, the number of employed people increased by 5,326.

Metro Athens continued to have the lowest area jobless rate at 6.4 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.2 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 9.0 percent in September, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 9.2 percent in August. The jobless rate was 9.8 percent in September a year ago.

While the state lost 400 jobs from August to September, it actually gained 61,800 jobs since the 3,877,600 in September of 2011, climbing to 3,939,400.

In Floyd County, the number of jobs increased to 37,400 in September, up by 100 from August, and up by 400 from 37,000 in September 2011.