ATLANTA—State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced Thursday that the preliminary unemployment rate in metro Savannah decreased to 8.4 percent in November, down six-tenths of a percentage point from 9.0 percent in October. The jobless rate in metro Savannah in November a year ago was also 9.0 percent.

Unemployment in Effingham County for November was 7.6 percent, down from 8 percent in October. The unemployment rate in Effingham County for November 2010 was 8.4 percent.

The rate declined because the number of jobs increased by 300. Most of the growth was in the private service-related industries, such as retail trade and education and health care.

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

Unemployment was highest in Hancock County, at 18.3 percent, for November and lowest in Oconee, at 5.9 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.