ATLANTA — Hinesville’s jobless rate dropped in August, according to the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday.

The preliminary unemployment rate in metro Hinesville declined to 9.1 percent in August, down 0.5 percent from 9.6 percent in July. The August 2011 rate also was 9.6 percent.

The rate decreased because there were 183 fewer unemployed people in the metro area. In metro Hinesville, jobs increased to 19,800 in August, up by 200 from July, but unchanged from August 2011.

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 0.6 percent, from 3,914,100 in July to 3,939,200 in August. There have been 49,700 jobs created in Georgia since August 2011.