The state added 3,600 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in October, but the unemployment rate remained flat at 6.4 percent compared to September, the Department of Labor said Thursday.
The rate is down from 7.6 percent in Oct. 2013.
The private sector added 4,900 jobs, which was partially erased by public sector job losses.
The biggest gains were in retail trade (+2,400 jobs), which DOL said may indicate an earlier-than-usual holiday hiring buildup. Education and health services and trade, transportation and utilities also gained jobs.
The state has added a total of 18,300 jobs during the first 10 months of 2014, compared to 13,700 over the same period of 2013.
October brought the state’s largest labor force growth of the year, adding 10,675 people, or 0.6 percent.
Labor force is the term officials use to describe the population that is either employed or unemployed. Those who have stopped looking for work are not counted in the labor force number.
