AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Labor Department says the preliminary unemployment rate for September was 7.6 percent, down slightly from August's 7.7 percent.

Figures released Friday are adjusted to reflect seasonal fluctuations in the labor market. September's 7.6 percent rate was up from the 7.4 percent rate for the same month a year ago.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 53,400 people in Maine were unemployed in September, up 1,400 over the year.