Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Coastal Georgia region gained employed residents and lowered its unemployment rate in September.

At the same time, the 10-county area saw its initial claims dip down.  Most major indicators  remain positive for the year.

"Our communities across the state continue to thrive,” Butler said. “Local economies continue to add jobs. Indicators like employment continue to grow over time. It has become almost routine for some of our local areas to set records.”

The September unemployment rate fell to 3.2 percent, down by .5 percent from July. That’s tied for fourth among the 12 regions. The rate was 4.7 percent one year ago.

The labor force fell in September by 712 to reach 328,452 total members. The number has fallen by 185 over the past 12 months, or an average loss of about 15 per month. 

The Coastal region gained 950 employed residents in September, pushing its total to 317,807. That number has grown by 4,621 over the past year, or an average monthly gain of about 468.  

Initial claims for unemployment fell by about 4 percent for the month. They are down by about 74 percent when compared to last September.  

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 2,842 active job postings in the Coastal region for September. 

The Coastal region includes Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Screven counties.