Newton County's jobless rate fell below 10 percent for the first time since 2008.

According to the Georgia Department of Labor, the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in Newton County fell from 10.2 percent in March to 9.9 percent in April. The jobless rate in Newton County in April a year ago was 10.9 percent.

The preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the Northeast Georgia area also dropped slightly to 8 percent in April from 8.3 percent in March. The jobless rate in the Northeast Georgia area in April a year ago was 8.8 percent, also the lowest since Dec. 2008.

The lowest rate in the Northeast region was recorded in Athens at 6.5 percent, while the highest, at 11.5 percent, was in Elbert County.

According to reports released from GDOL:
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced Thursday that Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined for the ninth consecutive month in April to 8.9 percent, the first time in more than three years the rate has dropped below 9 percent. The rate fell one-tenth of a percentage point from 9.0 percent in March. The jobless rate was 9.8 percent in April a year ago.

Statewide, the rate declined as the number of new jobs grew by 31,900, to 3,926,000, the highest number of jobs in Georgia since January of 2009. Job growth is up eight-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,894,100 in March. In April a year ago, there were 3,904,400 jobs.

The industries showing growth were: trade and transportation, 9,200; leisure and hospitality, 9,200; professional and business services, 5,900; construction, 3,400; and education and healthcare, 2,700. While the state gained jobs overall, state and local governments shed 3,300 jobs.