ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that Hinesville’s unemployment rate decreased to 9.3 percent in August, down seven-tenths of a percentage point from 10 percent in July. The rate also was 9.3 percent in August a year ago.
The rate dropped because there was a significant reduction in layoffs and an increase in the number of jobs.
There were 203 new layoffs, represented by initial claims for unemployment insurance, which are 22, or 9.8 percent, fewer than the 225 in July.
Much of the decline came in accommodations and food services, professional and technical services, construction and manufacturing.
Over the year, the number of initial claims was down by 67, or 24.8 percent, from 270 in August 2012. Reductions were mostly in manufacturing, construction, transportation and warehousing, professional and technical services, and administrative and support services.     
There were 19,700 jobs in Hinesville in August, up by 300, or 1.6 percent, from 19,400 in July. The increase came mostly in local government. The number of jobs was unchanged at 19,700 from August 2012.    
The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, declined by 268 to 32,775 in August, down from 33,043 in July.
It also was down by 522 from 33,297 in August 2012.
Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.9 percent.  Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was 8.7 percent, down from 8.8 percent in July. The rate was 9 percent in August a year ago.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us.