Covington County’s unemployment rate made a sharp drop in September.

Rankings released Friday show that the number of claims for unemployment benefits fell from 1,523 in August to 1,315 in September, reducing the county’s rate from 8.9 percent to 7.8 percent.

“In looking, that’s because there were fewer job losses in construction and manufacturing,” said Tara Hutchinson of the state department of industrial relations.

Comparatively, the state’s preliminary September unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, down from the August rate of 8.5 percent, and below last year’s rate of 8.8 percent.

Locally this time last year, the county’s unemployment rate rested at 8.9 percent.

“More Alabamians are working this month, and that is certainly good news for the state,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “We still have a long way to go, and I will continue doing everything I can to put Alabamians back to work.”

The counties with the lowest unemployment rates were: Shelby at 5.2 percent, Coffee at 6.2 percent, and Lee, Limestone, and Madison Counties at 6.4 percent. The counties with the highest unemployment rates were: Wilcox at 17.8 percent, Bullock at 15.4 percent, and Dallas at 15.1 percent.