The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the preliminary unemployment rate in metro Valdosta declined to 8.2 percent in October, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.3 percent in September. The rate was 9.1 percent in October 2011.

The rate declined because the number of unemployed people dropped by 95, to 5,048 from 5,503 in September.

Metro Athens continued to have the lowest area jobless rate at 6.2 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 8.7 percent in October, down three-tenths of a percentage point from 9.0 percent in September. The jobless rate was 9.7 percent in October a year ago.

Statewide, there were 3,971,700 jobs in October, up 36,000, or nine-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,935,700 in September. Over the year, Georgia gained 68,000 jobs, or 1.7 percent, from 3,903,700 in October 2011.