— — For the sixth consecutive month the private sector has added jobs in the Buffalo Niagara Falls metropolitan area, according to figures released by the state labor department.

Niagara County’s unemployment remained at the same 8.5 percent reported from a year ago. The Buffalo Niagara Falls region’s unemployment rose slightly last month to 8 percent from the 7.9 percent reported in November 2009.

The number of residents unemployed during November in Niagara County was about 9,600, the same from a year ago, but higher than the 8,700 who were without a job in October. The state reported 46,500 people were jobless in the Buffalo Niagara Falls region during the month of November.

State labor market analyst John Slenker said the unemployment numbers were a bit misleading. There are more who are unemployed but more jobs were being created.

“More people are looking for jobs,” Slenker said. “To be unemployed by definition is to be out of work and actively looking. Some were out of work and gave up. People are seeing there are jobs available and have started looking again.”

Statewide, unemployment for November was 8.2 percent, less than the 8.5 percent from a year ago. Nationally, unemployment is at 9.3 percent slightly less than the 9.4 percent reported in November 2009.

Still there’s a way to go. The state’s economy added 700 private sector jobs, but the total job count in New York decreased slightly by 300 jobs. The number of unemployed New York State residents increased to 799,500 in November from 797,400 in October.

“Like the nation as a whole, New York State’s economic recovery from this recession has been very uneven to date. November’s small increase of 700 private sector jobs follows October's very large gain of 37,800,” said Norman Steele, deputy director of the state Division of Research and Statistics.

Seeing the private sector add jobs for the sixth month in a row was a good thing, Slenker said. It gives analysts something they look for, a trend. The modest job gain may seem small, but continuing to add jobs over a period of time is what the market needs to do to recover.

“We’ve had six months of fairly decent numbers,” Slenker said. “And six months is a trend. The growth is small but it is there. It’s not a robust recovery though, I think we’ll continue to see the rate rise even though the market is improving.”

Manufacturing and government industries statewide took a hit last month, as they lost 1,400 and 39,800 jobs from a year ago. The service providing industry is up about 37,000 jobs across New York from a year ago.