For the first time since the onset of the Great Recession, the unemployment rate in Stanislaus County has dropped below 10 percent.

The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County for September came in at 9.7 percent, down from a revised rate of 10.2 percent recorded in August and below the year-ago estimate of 11.3 percent, according to the latest report from the Employment Development Department.

The county has not recorded an unemployment rate below 10 percent since 2007. In September 2013, the unemployment rate was at 11.3 percent and in September 2012 it was at 13.5 percent. The highest September unemployment rate was recorded in 2010, when it was at 16.2 percent.

Historically, September is a good month for Stanislaus County’s employment with harvest season continuing and schools in session.

The government sector, specifically school districts, added an estimated 900 jobs in September, with other government agencies adding an approximate 200 new positions, for a total of 1,100 for the month, according to the EDD.

Other sectors reporting job gains in September were: Professional and Business Services, Educational and Health Services and farming.

The Manufacturing and Trade, Transportation and Utilities sectors have both posted job gains from the previous year, the EDD reported.

Stanislaus County had an estimated labor force of 237,300 in September with approximately 23,100 unemployed, according to the EDD.

Merced County’s unemployment rate for September came in at 10.4 percent, down from 11.3 percent in August. The unemployment rate fell to 9.7 percent in San Joaquin County in September, down from 10.3 percent in August.

California’s unemployment rate in September came in at 6.9 percent and the nations’ was at 5.7 percent for the same time frame.

The unemployment rate in Turlock fell to 7.3 percent in September, down from 7.7 percent. Denair had an unemployment rate of 5.2 percent, which is down from the 5.5 percent recorded in August. Hughson fell from 13.5 percent in August to 12.9 percent in September. Keyes had a September unemployment rate of 17.7 percent, down from the 18.5 percent recorded in August. Ceres had a rate of 12.2 percent in September, down from 12.9 percent.

The jobs and professions having the most help wanted ads in Stanislaus County for September were: Registered Nurses – 655; Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers – 457; Retail Salespersons – 209; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers – 167; Physical Therapists – 144; Customer Service Representatives — 139; Critical Care Nurses — 128; Medical and Health Services Managers — 114; Occupational Therapists — 105; and Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — 102.

The 10 companies that posted the most help wanted ads for September in Stanislaus County were: TruStaff – 194; Tenet Healthcare Corporation — 133; Conifer Health Solutions — 103; CTG – Computer Task Group — 100; Soliant — 93; Kaiser Permanente — 75; Supplemental Health Care – 75; Modesto City Schools — 60; California State University System — 56; and Sutter Health – 54.