The preliminary unemployment rate in metro Gainesville declined to 6.7 percent in September, down five-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 7.2 percent in August, Georgia Department of Labor announced today.

The rate was 8.1 percent in September 2011.

The rate declined primarily because the number of unemployed people decreased by 370, while the number of employed people increased by 718, according to a Labor Department news release. 

In metro Gainesville, which includes all of Hall County, the number of jobs decreased to 78,400 in September, down by 300 from August, but up by 3,200 from 75,200 in September 2011. 

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 9 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.

The unemployment rate in the Georgia Mountains area declined to 7.2 percent in September, down five-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 7.7 percent in August. The rate was 8.5 percent in September 2011.

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