The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Monday that Ocala and Palm Coast led all of Florida’s metro areas with the largest over-the-year unemployment rate drop from September 2011 to September 2012. Each turned in a 2.6 percentage point decrease (not seasonally adjusted).

Overall, 12 of the state’s 22 metro areas experienced declines in their unemployment rates of 2 percentage points or greater during the same time period.

Gov. Rick Scott had this to say: “I’m proud of the progress these regions have made in leading our state to another month of declining unemployment rates and getting their residents back to work. They are proof of the positive business climate we’ve created and the success we’re having in ensuring that Florida is the No.1 place for employers to move, start or grow their business.”

The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro area was next with a 2.4 percentage point unemployment rate drop, followed by the Northport-Bradenton-Sarasota, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro areas with 2.2 percent declines.