CNNMoney.com reported today that 23 states and the District of Columbia recorded lower unemployment rates in September than in August. However, the overall national unemployment rate of 9.6 percent remained unchanged, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Two states, Illinois and Mississippi, fell below the 10 percent unemployment level. Unemployment rates increased in 11 states, but that was a sharp decline from the 27 states that reported higher jobless rates in August.

In Iowa, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September remained at 6.8 percent for the third consecutive month. A year ago, the state’s jobless rate stood at 6.4 percent.

The total number of working Iowans rose slightly in September to 1,561,600 from 1,558,200 in August. Since September of last year, Iowa’s total nonfarm employment has increased by 3,200 jobs. The manufacturing sector has led the recovery with a gain of 7,700 jobs, followed by the addition of 6,900 professional and business positions.

The trade and transportation sector, however, lost 9,200 jobs on a year-over-year basis with slightly more than half of those cuts being reported in the retail trade segment.

“Job growth is expected to remain uneven through the rest of 2010,” said Elisabeth Buck, director of Iowa Workforce Development, in a press release. “Hiring will gradually strengthen in 2011, as the economy moves from a stimulus-fed recovery toward a self-sustaining expansion.”