LANSING – Unemployment rates continued to drop during the month of September across Southwest Michigan.

Data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget shows that St. Joseph County dropped nine-tenths of a percent, going from 8.2 in August to 7.3 percent in September.

Hillsdale County had the largest drop in unemployment in the area, going down one full percentage point from 7.8 to 6.8 percent.

Cass County went down from 8.2 to 7.4 percent, which is a decrease of eight-tenths of a percent. Branch County saw a drop of six-tenths of a percent from 7.6 to an even 7 percent.

Statewide in Michigan, the unemployment rate dropped from 8.9 in August to 8.2 percent in September.

Wayne Rourke, Acting Director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives says while the jobless rates went down in Southwest Michigan and other portions of the State in September, the reductions were due primarily to fewer persons in the State labor market.