Teachers coming back to their classrooms helped lower Lubbock's unemployment rate in October to a state-best 5.4 percent, down from its two-month plateau at 5.7 percent.

The Lubbock-Crosby area gained a net 800 jobs, largely on increases in government and education, according to figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission. An estimated 7,800 people were unemployed in October, down from 8,200 in September.

Last October, the local jobless rate was 3.7 percent, with about 5,300 people unemployed.

"It's the teachers coming back to school, and people coming back to seasonal jobs," said Martin Aguirre, chief executive officer for Workforce Solutions South Plains. "We're also seeing an increase in hiring for the start of the holiday season. We already have Christmas merchandise on the shelves."

Education "is a great stabilizer for the community," said Terri Patterson, director of workforce recruitment for the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, especially at the secondary education level.

The area's four major post-high school institutions — Texas Tech, Lubbock Christian University, Wayland Baptist University and South Plains College — represent a combined enrollment of 46,000 students.

On a year-over-year basis, the education and health services sector has gained 500 jobs, including 100 in the last month. The government workforce grew by 1,000 jobs from September. Professional and business services also added 100 jobs.