ATLANTA — Metro Hinesville’s unemployment rate for September was 8.2 percent, down 0.9 percent from 9.1 percent in August, the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday.
The rate last September was 8.6 percent.
The rate dropped because there were 313 fewer unemployed people in the Hinesville area in September, according to the federal government’s monthly household survey, and there were fewer new layoffs.
While the rate decreased, metro Hinesville lost 200 jobs in September, as the total number of jobs dropped to 20,000 from 20,200 in August. The losses came in local government and other service-related industries.   
However, there was an over-the-year gain of 300 jobs, or 1.5 percent, from 19,700 in September 2013. The job gains came mostly in the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing and construction.  
Also, there were 138 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in September, a decrease of 16, or 10.4 percent, from 154 in August. Most of the decrease in claims came in transportation, warehousing, accom-
modations and food services.
Over the year, claims were down 8.6 percent from the 151 filed in September 2013.    
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.  
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.
Local unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor-market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov.