The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Metro Valdosta’s unemployment rate for September was 7.6 percent, down eight-tenths of a percentage point from 8.4 percent in August. The rate in September of last year was 7.5 percent. 

The rate dropped because there were 483 fewer unemployed people in the Valdosta area in September, according to the federal government’s monthly household survey, and there were fewer new layoffs. 

While the rate decreased, jobs in Metro Valdosta were unchanged at 54,100 from August to September. However, there was an over-the-year gain of 100 jobs, or 0.2 percent, from 54,000 in September 2013. The job gains were mostly in trade, transportation and warehousing.   

Also, there were 293 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in September, a decrease of 58, or 16.5 percent, from 351 in August. Most of the decrease in claims came in retail trade and manufacturing. Over the year, claims were down 33.3 percent from the 439 filed in September 2013.    

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.5 percent. 

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for September was 7.9 percent, down from 8.1 percent in August. It was 8.0 percent in September 2013.