Unemployment rate fell

St. Joseph County‘s September unemployment rate fell seven-tenths of a percent from its August figure, according to the monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The decrease to an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent from August to September followed a 1.7 percent decline from the previous one-month period. Gains in education-related fields and fewer people seeking seasonal jobs contributed to the decrease, department officials said.

Compared to September 2011, last month’s unemployment rate in the county was down 2.7 percent.

St. Joseph County remained below the state unemployment average, which was 8.2 percent last month.