The jobless rate in Surry County dropped by half a percentage point in August, the third consecutive month the figure has declined.

The August rate stood at 12.2 percent, according to figures released by the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina. That was lower than the 12.7 percent level recorded in July. June’s jobless mark in Surry County was 12.8 percent, and the rate stood at 13.1 percent in May.

The trend is one mirrored across the state with 90 counties seeing joblessness decline from July to August.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was 10.7 percent, lower than the 11.1 percent recorded a month earlier.

In terms of actual numbers, 4,198 Surry County residents were out of work in August. In July there were 4,442 jobless county residents, 4,536 in June and 4,617 in May.

Currituck County, on the coast of North Carolina, had the state’s lowest unemployment rate in August at 5.1 percent. Scotland County, near Fayetteville, had the state’s highest mark at 16.5 percent.