Georgia’s unemployment rate is at its lowest mark in three years.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced Thursday that Georgia’s jobless rate dropped to 9.1 percent in February. That is the lowest it has been since March 2009. It is also the seventh straight month the unemployment rate has fallen. It was 9.2 percent in January and 9.9 percent a year ago.

“February’s economic data is encouraging,” Commissioner Butler said. “We created 15,600 jobs, lots of unemployed Georgians went back to work, and fewer people were laid off. After back-to-back quarters of declining unemployment and continued job creation, it looks like Georgia’s businesses are trending toward a comeback.”

The State Labor Department’s number show 70 percent of the jobs that were created in February came from the private sector. The state has gained 41,800 jobs in the past 12 months. Most of those jobs were in professional and business services.

Also, number of first-time claims in February for unemployment insurance benefits dropped to its lowest mark since June of 2008. The state says those claims fell 40.4 percent from January to February.