Greenville County's unemployment rate dropped slightly in July, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce reported Friday.

July's seasonally adjusted rate was 7.9 percent, down from 8.2 percent in June, according to DEW.

The county-level rate was the third-lowest in the state, just ahead of Saluda County (7.6 percent) and Lexington County (7.3 percent).

The news was not so rosy on a state wide level. The July rate for South Carolina was 9.6 percent — up slightly from June's 9.4 percent rate.

The state's overall labor force fell by 7,191 people to 2,143,275. This pattern is similar to the trend in 2011 of falling employment and rising unemployment during the middle of the year, according to DEW. 

The national unemployment rate increased slightly from 8.2 percent in June to 8.3 percent in July.

“The state’s unemployment rate has once again mirrored the movements of the national rate. A decline in payroll employment is typical for this time of year, as educational institutions are on break for the summer,” said Abraham J. Turner, executive director of the SC Department of Employment and Workforce.

“However, DEW remains steadfast and focused on its efforts to put South Carolinians back to work,” Turner said in a release.

Historically, employment decreases during the summer months due to the seasonal ebb and flow of employment in the educational sector, DEW officials noted. 

Statewide, non-farm payroll jobs fell by 22,700 from June to July, with the majority of the decrease in Government (-15,300). Other sectors declining in July included Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-3,000, mostly in Retail Trade), Professional and Business Services (-1,700), and Manufacturing (-1,600). 

Employment in the construction industry moved slightly downward (-800) after four consecutive monthly increases. Education and Health Services jobs declined by 600 as private educational schools and ambulatory health care services declined. The Information sector experienced the only increase (+200), according to DEW.