Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate fell substantially in August — to 8.0 percent from 8.6 percent in July as layoffs declined and hiring increased, the state labor department said Thursday.

Employers cut 25.9 percent fewer jobs in August than in July. Many of the 17,563 initial claims for jobless benefits came in manufacturing, There were with additional layoffs in construction, administrative and support services, trade, accommodations and food services, and health care and social assistance.

During the past year, the number of initial jobless claims was down 23.6 percent from August 2012, when the unemployment rate was 8.9 percent.

On the hiring front, there were 2,415,900 jobs in metro Atlanta in August — up by 2,800 from July. Education and health services added 4,500 jobs, while government added 4,400, as non-contract education workers returned to public schools after the summer vacation. Metro jobless numbers are not seasonally adjusted, so there is typically a summertime increase in the unemployment rate when schools are out and a decline when schools start again.

August’s job gains were partially offset by the loss of 3,000 private sector jobs, mostly in professional and business services.

During the past year, metro Atlanta has added 57,100 jobs. The gains came in several sectors, including: professional and business services — 14,800 jobs; trade and transportation — 13,100; education and health services — 11,900; leisure and hospitality — 9,400; construction — 8,100; information services — 3,800; and financial services — 2,300. Government lost 4,200 jobs.

The labor force — the number of people employed plus those actively looking for work — declined by 41,309 in August to total 2,737,562. A seasonal decline usually occurs in August, as students leave summer jobs to return to school. But the labor force was up by 5,492 from August 2012.

For the core metro Atlanta counties, Gwinnett posted the lowest jobless rate at 7.1 percent. Cobb was next with 7.2 percent, followed by DeKalb (8.4 percent), Fulton (8.8 percent) and Clayton (10.3 percent).

Statewide, metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.9 percent.

Last week, the labor department reported that Georgia’s unemployment rate fell to 8.7 percent in August from 8.8 percent in July. The state and metro Atlanta continue to trail the national jobless rate, currently 7.3 percent.