Greene County's unemployment rate declined in September to 14.3 percent from 15.7 in August, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday.

It was the second consecutive month that Greene County's jobless rate dropped. The county's unemployment rate had peaked at 17.3 percent in July.

The state's latest unemployment report listed Greene County in September 2009 as having 26,220 people employed and 4,360 unemployed in a total labor force of 30,580 people.

Reflecting the recession's impact, unemployment in Greene County previously had risen steadily each month since October 2008, when it was 9.1 percent, through July, when it was 17.3 percent.

For comparison, throughout 2008 Greene County had an average monthly jobless rate of 9.1 percent, which itself was higher than that of any other recent year.

But last month, in September 2009, Tennessee's statewide unemployment rate delined to 10.3 percent from 10.7 percent in August.

The United States' unemployment rate in September was 9.5 percent, down slightly from 9.6 percent in August.

Greene County's September unemployment rates in recent years have been:

* 9.3 percent in 2008;

* 6.8 percent in 2007;

* 6.4 percent in 2006;

* 7.2 percent in 2005;

* 7.0 percent in 2004;

* 6.3 percent in 2003;

* 5.8 percent in 2002;

* 6.0 percent in 2001.

Greene County's 14.3 percent unemployment rate in September was higher than that of any neighbroing counties.

Here are the September 2009 unemployment rates in nearby counties:

* Cocke, 12.2 percent;

* Hamblen, 12.5 percent;

* Hawkins, 10.3 percent;

* Sullivan, 8.8 percent;

* Unicoi, 10.3 percent;

* Washington, 8.6 percent.

The state's four most populous combined statistical areas (CSAs) reported these unemployment rates in September:

* Chattanooga, 9.3 percent, down from from 10.0 percent in August;

* Knoxville, 9.3 percent, down from 10.0 percent in August;

* Nashville, 9.2 percent, down from 9.6 percent in August;

* Memphis, 11.0 percent, down from 11.4 percent in August.

The September unemployment rates in nearby smaller cities were:

* Bristol, 9.4 percent, down from 9.9 percent in August;

* Johnson City, 8.5 percent, down from 9.1 percent in August;

* Kingsport, 9.1 percent, down from 9.4 percent in August;

* Morristown, 14.7 percent, down from 15.3 percent in August;

* Oak Ridge, 9.2 percent, down from 9.6 percent in August.

Jobless totals for Greeneville and Greene County are counted together by the state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Lauderdale County, located in West Tennessee along the Mississippi River, had the state's highest unemployment rate in August, at 18.9 percent.

Lincoln County, located in Middle Tennessee bordering Alabama, had the state's lowest August unemployment rate, at 6.9 percent.