Maine’s unemployment rate rose for the second straight month in September, but still remained just below the national average.

The state Department of Labor said Maine’s jobless rate was 5.8 percent in September, up from 5.6 percent in August and 5.5 percent in July. The rate was 6.6 percent in September 2013.

The national unemployment rate in September was 5.9 percent.

The Labor Department figures indicate that about 1,700 jobs were lost between August and September, with employment dropping from 665,201 to 663,579. The labor force – those working or looking for jobs – also shrank slightly, from 704,965 in August to 704,242 in September.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Maine was among eight states to see the unemployment rate rise in September. The rate dropped in 31 states and was unchanged in 11 states.

Cumberland County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 4.2 percent and Washington County had the highest at 7.6 percent. Unlike the statewide unemployment figures, county rates are not adjusted to account for seasonal variations in the labor force and jobs.

Regionally, Maine fell roughly in the middle of the pack for unemployment in New England states. Rhode Island had the region’s highest unemployment rate in September, at 7.4 percent, followed by Connecticut at 6.4 percent, Massachusetts at 6.0 percent and Maine at 5.8 percent. The unemployment rate in Vermont was 4.4 percent and in New Hampshire it was 4.3 percent.

The overall rate for New England was 6.0 percent in September. That put the region’s unemployment rate in the middle of the nine regions defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.