For fourth consecutive month, the county’s overall unemployment rate declined, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The county saw an 8.5-percent jobless rate in May, a slight decline from the 8.6 percent it saw in April.

But that follows an 8.8 percent recorded in March and a 9-percent jobless rate in February.

The high-water mark for the past several months was seen in January, when the county’s rate hit 9.4 percent.

From a high of 3,371 unemployed workers in the TWC report covering January, the latest report saw the actual number of unemployed Henderson County workers set at 3,037 — an improvement of more than 300 workers gaining employment.

This year saw March, April and May jobless rates rise above 8 percent; 2009’s rates for those three months were above 7 percent; and in 2008 March, April and May were below 5 percent.

In May 2008, the unem- ployment rate was 4.9 percent, with 34,378 people employed and 1,674 unemployed workers in Henderson County.

In the latest report, May 2010 had the 8.5-percent jobless rate, with 32,847 people employed and 3,037 unemployed workers here.

The report covering June unemployment in Texas is expected to be released July 9.