ATLANTA – State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced today that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia area decreased to 9.6 percent in November, down eight-tenths of a percentage point from 10.4 percent in October. The jobless rate in the area in November a year ago was 11 percent.

Metro Athens had the lowest area rate at 6.9 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate had its largest one-month decline since 1977, falling to 9.9 percent from 10.2 percent in October. The jobless rate was 10.4 percent in November a year ago.

The state rate dropped because of an increase of 22,400 jobs.  In addition to retail trade, growth also came in financial and business services and education and health care.

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