GALLIPOLIS — The unemployment rate in Gallia County took a slight turn for the better in September compared to August.

According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Gallia County’s unemployment rate for September was 9.5 percent, down one-tenth of a percent from the 9.6 figure posted in August. However, the current number is nearly three points higher than the same time period in 2008 when Gallia County’s jobless rate was 6.6 percent.

Overall, Ohio gained jobs from August to September with the state jobless rate now at 9.7 percent compared to 10.5 percent for August. Nationwide, however, the jobless rate jumped up by one-tenth of a percent from 9.7 in August to 9.8 percent for September.

Gallia’s neighboring counties also showed some improvement last month. Meigs County’s jobless figure improved to 15.2 percent in September from 16.6 percent in August. However, Meigs still has the second highest unemployment rate in the Buckeye State behind Highland County’s 15.3 percent.

In Jackson County, the figure was 10.5 percent, down 1.2 percent from August’s number of 11.7 percent. Vinton County’s rate also dropped by more than 1 percent from 12.6 in August to 11.3 in September.

Lawrence County improved from 9.2 percent in August to 8.4 percent in September. Athens County experienced a drop from 9.5 percent in August to 8.6 percent last month. Hocking County’s jobless rate also improved from 11.3 in August to 10.4 in September.

Adams (Aug. 15.0, Sept. 13.8), Pike (Aug. 15.7, Sept. 14.7), Ross (Aug. 12.4, Sept. 11.5), Scioto (Aug. 13.1, Sept. 12.1) and Washington (Aug. 9.6, Sept. 9.4) each saw some improvement over the past month.