Indiana’s latest employment numbers are largely positive after the Hoosier private sector added jobs last month.

But the state also continued a long stretch during which its unemployment rate failed to improve.

The Indiana private sector filled 2,800 jobs last month, principally in the manufacturing sector. And November marks five consecutive months private employment grew.

The state’s labor force also expanded for the 10th consecutive month. More than 2,100 Hoosiers started actively looking for work again. Economists often view labor force growth as a sign of optimism in the economy.

But the state’s unemployment rate rose for the first time in months, to 3.6 percent. That’s its highest rate since August of last year. And November marks nine months since the unemployment rate last improved – the longest such stretch in nearly six years.