The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Southern Georgia area declined to 10.3 percent in August, down four-tenths of a percentage point from 10.7 percent in July. The rate was 11.2 percent in August 2011.

The rate decreased because there were 316 fewer layoffs in manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, professional and technical services, administrative and support services, educational services, and health care and social assistance. Also, the area’s labor force declined by 1,736, partially because some students left summer jobs to return to school.

Metro Athens continued to have the lowest area jobless rate at 6.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Regional Commission had the highest at 12.2 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in August, unchanged from July. The jobless rate was 9.9 percent in August a year ago.

The number of jobs in the state rose by 25,100, or six-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,914,100 in July to 3,939,200 in August. Georgia has created 49,700 jobs since August 2011 when there were 3,889,500 jobs.