MARIETTA — Cobb’s unemployment rate declined to 7.7 percent in September from 8 percent in August, according to the state labor department.

That is lower than Georgia’s overall unadjusted rate, which was 8.6 percent in September, but slightly higher than the national rate of 7.6 percent for the month, according to the agency.

Georgia and the nation both saw lower unemployment rates in September than in August.

Cherokee County, meanwhile, reported unemployment of 6.7 percent in September, a decline from 7.0 percent in August.

Cherokee County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens said he’s delighted to see the continued downward trend for Cherokee and that 6.7 percent is “really good news.”

“I see that the lowest in Georgia is Athens at 6.4 percent, so we are right there,” Ahrens said. “Last month it dropped from 7.5 percent to 7.1 percent, so almost a full percentage point in two months. We continue to be in a leadership position, metro-wide and statewide.”

Ahrens said he thinks local businesses are generally doing well, citing Cherokee Chamber of Commerce surveys.

“(The surveys) show that our local businesses are increasing their new hires, albeit at a cautious pace,” Ahrens said.

Officials with the state Labor Department said the metro Atlanta rate also declined to 8.4 percent in September from 8.8 percent in August.

“The rate declined primarily because of 4,446 fewer layoffs in manufacturing, construction, trade, administrative and support services, and accommodations and food services, plus 31,606 more people were employed,” a Wednesday GDOL release said.

The metro Atlanta area saw the number of jobs decrease to 2,335,700 last month, which is a decrease of 5,100 from August, but an increase of 31,400 from 2,304,300 in September a year ago.