ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Labor announced that the preliminary unemployment rate in metro Savannah declined to 8.6 percent in August, down five-tenths of a percentage point from 9.1 in July. The rate was 9.5 in August 2011.

The rate decreased because there were 899 fewer unemployed people in the metro area.

Unemployment for Effingham County was at 7.4 percent for August.

The preliminary unemployment rate in the Coastal Georgia area declined to 9.1 percent in August, down five-tenths of a percentage point from 9.6 percent in July. The rate was 9.9 percent in August 2011.

The rate decreased because there were 106 fewer layoffs in manufacturing, construction, and   health care and social assistance. Also, the area’s labor force declined by 1,046, partially because some students left summer jobs to return to school.

Metro Athens continued to have the lowest area jobless rate at 6.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Regional Commission had the highest at 12.2 percent.

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 six-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,914,100 in July to 3,939,200 in August. Georgia has created 49,700 jobs since August 2011 when there were 3,889,500 jobs.

In metro Savannah, jobs increased to 154,300 in August, up by 2,400 from July, and up by 3,800 from 150,500 in August 2011.

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