ATLANTA — More people had jobs in the Hinesville in March than the month before.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the preliminary unemployment rate in metro Hinesville declined to 8.7 percent last month, down 0.3 percent from a revised 9 percent in February. The jobless rate in metro Hinesville in March 2011 was 8.5 percent.

The rate decreased because there were fewer layoffs in manufacturing, trade and administrative and support services, according to DoL Commissioner Mark Butler.

Metro Athens had the lowest area rate at 6.7 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.6 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined in March for the eighth consecutive month to 9 percent, the lowest rate since February 2009, when it was 8.9 percent. That is a decline of 0.1 percent from a revised 9.1 percent in February. The jobless rate was 9.8 percent in March 2011.

The rate in the Coastal Region was a little better than statewide: 8.9 percent in March, down 0.2 percent from February. The jobless rate in the Coastal Georgia area in March 2011 also was 9.1 percent.

Butler said the rate went down statewide because the number of jobs in March increased by 13,900 to 3,894,900. Also, revised numbers show the state gained 35,600 jobs in the past 12 months.

The employment sectors showing growth since March of 2011 were: professional and business services, 28,900; trade and transportation, 10,700; education and health services, 7,900; manufacturing, 5,900; and leisure and hospitality, 1,200.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us