Statistics Canada says the Kootenay unemployment fell to 8.1 per cent in September, down from 9.5 per cent in August.
It was also lower than the rate of 10.2 per cent in September 2010.
However, it's still higher than the provincial rate of 6.7 per cent and the national rate of 7.1 per cent, which was the lowest since December 2008.
A little over 6,000 people were looking for work last month in the East and West Kootenay last month.