Some key Indiana employment metrics continue to show positive signs for the Hoosier economy. That’s even as the state’s unemployment rate once again failed to improve last month.

Indiana’s labor force grew in October, the ninth consecutive month the measure expanded. The labor force counts both those who have a job and those actively looking for one. And economists often view growth as a sign of optimism in the economy.

The state’s private sector added 3,400 jobs in October. The private educational and health services sector led the way, along with a surge in construction jobs. And private sector employment has now grown four straight months.

Yet Indiana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.5 percent for the third month in a row. The rate also hasn’t improved in eight months, the longest such stretch in more than five years.