LUMBERTON — Robeson County’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 9.3 percent in August, according to information released recently by the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

The county’s labor force consisted of 49,966 residents, with 4,642 of those people looking for work.

Although unemployment is down from the 9.4 percent rate reported for July, it’s still higher than the 9.1 percent rate recorded for June. But August did bring an improvement over the 9.7 percent rate recorded during the same month last year, according to the department’s report.

Unemployment rates during August decreased in 86 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, increased in four and remained unchanged in 10 counties. Robeson County had the state’s sixth highest unemployment rate.

Scotland County’s unemployment rate of 11.4 percent was the state’s highest. Buncombe County’s rate of 4.6 percent was the state’s lowest.

The statewide unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in August. Out of a labor force comprising 4.4 million North Carolinians, 289,996 people were looking for work.

Unemployment rates in four of the five counties bordering Robeson also decreased. Rates for those counties were: Cumberland County, 8 percent, down from 8.1 percent in June; Hoke County, 8.5 percent, down from 8.6 percent; Columbus County, 8 percent, down from 8.1 percent; Scotland County, 11.4 percent, down from 11.6 percent.

The 9 percent unemployment rate posted for Bladen County marked an increase from the 8.9 percent rate reported for July.