LaGrange’s unemployment rate dropped from 13.1 percent in March to 12.9 percent in April, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

Troup County’s rate dropped from 12.1 percent to 11.5 percent during the month. It dropped from 13.6 percent to 11.8 percent in Heard County and from 14.3 percent to 13.1 percent in Meriwether County.

The state’s jobless rate declined to 10.4 percent in April, down from a revised 10.5 percent in March. Nonetheless, it’s the 31st consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national rate, which is now 9.9 percent.

In April 2009, the jobless rate was 9.2 percent in Georgia, 14.0 percent in LaGrange and 12.1 percent in Troup County.

Statewide, 60,661 laid-off workers filed initial claims, a decline of 23,685, or 28.1 percent, from 84,346 filed in April 2009. Most of the first time claims were filed in trade, manufacturing, construction, and administrative and support services.

The state showed a modest increase in new jobs in April for the third consecutive month, increasing by 26,900. But the number remains less than in April 2009, when there were 3,912,700 payroll jobs, 91,100 more than this year.

Labor Department data is available at www.dol.state.ga.us.